Rumored to be True
by Eletha Landon
Summary: Chloe Saunders. Cute and innocent, yet stubborn and un-datable. She's still rumored to be the greatest catch at Buffalo High, as she has everyone wrapped around her finger. But new boy, Derek Souza, is not impressed. AU- T for language and moderate citrus
1. Chapter 1 Another Beginning

**Author's Note- I've actually had this written over the summer. I didn't think the idea would develop that well and I already had a DP fic to attend to. But my dearest friend Lauren- Lauren94- inspired some ideas to start swimming and I decided to give this story a shot. Also I would love to give her a special thanks for being the critic I needed to get this story on its feet. She's my beta buddy! XP**

**It will be shorter of course. No more than 20 chapters at the most. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer- Rumor is that Darkest Powers actually belongs to Kelley Armstrong. I don't believe it for one second.**

_New guy at school. Great. Now I'm a cliché._

**Chapter 1- Another Beginning.**

Buffalo High School. The oh-so original name of yet another new school for Derek and his siblings. This had to be the twelfth- no, maybe the thirteenth- new school they had to transfer to because of issues surrounding their previous stay, in places they could barely ever call home. But, this time, the fault for having to transfer weighed now on Derek instead of his Dad.

The, _'Usual,'_ was something along the lines of Mr. Bae being a lawyer, a very exclusive one, who transferred to wherever he was hired to work a case. If his current conditions didn't satisfy the strict schedule of his demanding job, then he had no choice but to make the decision to move somewhere more convenient. And, depending on the case and the time it took for him to be recruited for a new one- which, in retrospect, wasn't very much- Derek and his family were soon packing their bags and their transcripts to register into a new district.

Derek himself had grown very accepting of the constant changes in his life. In fact, it hardly mattered to him. He could care less about where he lived, or the next place he would end up, or the not-so sentimental aspects he left behind. As long as he was with his dad, Simon and in some- very few- ways, Tori, then Derek was happy to comply to new things.

Simon and Tori were a different story. They were more social than Derek. Moving was a reoccurring nightmare to them. They made friends, got involved in school, lived a typical teenager's life, and with each move they were leaving everything they had worked so hard to achieve behind. It pained Derek that they were upset with their circumstances, but he understood that, deep down, they felt the same as him. They had their family, and in the end, it was enough.

Derek, of course, was the odd one out in his family, but was accepted nonetheless. Well, accepted more by some than others, though Tori shouldn't really count considering she was, well, Tori. He had been adopted by Mr. Bae when he was about five. Constantly abused in a run-down orphanage for lost boys had taken its toll on Derek, and it had taken him a long time to grow accustomed to his new family. But, over the years, Derek's trusting and loyal nature was only accessible to his family. He didn't bother to give anyone else his time. Why bother even if he needed to? He had everything that made him happy, and there was no point to pursue anything else when the, _'Usual,'_ was bound to roll around.

However, this case wasn't the, _'Usual.'_ Derek had- well he had gotten into trouble; trouble that was currently jeopardizing his father's political record. He had lost control and had been consumed by his short-fused temper. And even though the situation lasted barely a moment to breathe, it haunted Derek for hours on end. It was Derek's fault that Simon and Tori had to go through yet another move. It was Derek's fault that their new accommodations would be stuck on them for God knows how long because his father wasn't being hired for raising an, _'Unstable,'_ son. And, it was Derek's fault that a kid back in Albany would never be able to walk again.

Derek surveyed Buffalo from the backseat window of his father's green van. Simon sat beside him in the other seat while Tori occupied shotgun. She idly chattered and mused about her clothing to no one in particular. Derek reasoned it was most likely to her reflection in the side mirror of the vehicle. Regretfully, this wasn't a spiteful mental recognition but more a reflection of guilt. Tori and Simon were usually bickering at this point, tossing snide remarks back and forth on who would be in and out of more relationships this time, or who was more academically and socially incapable and other such insignificant teenage sibling banter. But the car ride to Buffalo High was a silent one.

Silence had never been more cruel and torturous to Derek in his short seventeen years of life than at this very moment.

While passing through a rural suburban area just a few blocks away from the school, Derek's distant green eyes fell upon an old, white Victorian two-story you only saw in the movies. The aged sterile feel that produced from the all-to-welcoming front door sent disturbing shudders through Derek's body. It was too similar. Too familiar. Blocked memories threatened to haunt Derek's thoughts, so he quickly casted his view away and the uneasy feeling that twisted in his stomach soon passed, as did the house.

More kids Derek's age came into view as they approached the school. Buses lined the curb at the front entrance as puberty enduring teens piled out while others were found crossing the street from the student lot. Through the crack in his window Derek heard the splitting shrill of the beginning bell and he mentally groaned at the thought of enduring yet another first day at a new school. Not that it truly mattered; he didn't succumb to social paranoia, yet the act was almost tedious now.

"Don't want to be late kids," Kit sighed as he pulled the van to a halt at the crosswalk. Tori and Simon simultaneously echoed his release of breath as they clambered out of their respective doors. Derek followed, guilt stabbing at him relentlessly.

"Love you guys, see you at two." Their Dad stated with a sympathetic smile. There were no groans and mutters of utter embarrassment towards their father's affection. Instead Simon and Tori gave a curt wave and reassuring smiles of their own before they turned towards the school.

Derek's Dad passed him a wary glance. It wasn't a look of disappointment, of judgment, or even a warning towards him to be on his best behavior. It was a knowing glance, a look of pride for his son that held inner sadness. Mr. Bae didn't want Derek going through something like this- this guilt. Derek knew that. But that still didn't diminish the fact that it was his fault.

Derek lost Tori and Simon, or more like he didn't even bother to keep up with them as they entered the school, and he walked the halls to the front office himself. The school was actually pretty grand for something so small. It was an old school- Buffalo's first in fact- hence the original name. Not too old to be claimed as historical, but it felt welcoming and warm.

Students chatted and passed through the halls animatedly, everyone's spirits seeming so bright and high. Derek found an easy explanation to this as just about every inch of the school's halls were plastered in pep rally posters.

**Pep Rally Thursday! Be There or Be Square!**

**Let's go Bison's, let's go!**

**Support your team! Attend the raging stampede pep rally Thursday! Go Bison's!**

Derek saw enough colors, cheesy puns, and nauseating spirit to last him a lifetime in a single hallway.

Great. He had just entered the preppy school.

This time, Derek didn't even bother swallowing his groan of displeasure, and he received several anxious glances from students passing by. That wasn't all. Each and every single person that passed Derek rubber-necked their eyes back in his direction as they cautiously sized him up in a fleeting glance. Their actions were all the same. Eyes incredulously wide and questioning- as Derek was rather large for his age- then they dimmed and fell into narrowed slits of judgment and accusation as they made their own assumptions of who he was. Last but not least, they would turn to whatever companion or acquaintance occupied their side and release hushed whispers of irrelevant gossip.

And so rumors of Derek Souza were already spreading. Sure enough, the students here knew about the accident. Of course, the situation wouldn't have had to exist for people to judge Derek just by his appearance. And by this point, Derek was used to it and chose not to care.

What did it matter what people thought of him? It wasn't even personal. No one knew him, and no one cared to try. So why should he?

Derek approached the front desk, ignoring all the eyes he could feel boring into the back of his head. The brunette receptionist looked up from her current distraction- a stack of papers concerning God knows what- her almost friendly smile vanishing into a hard line as soon as her eyes found Derek's.

"You're the other new student I presume. I had the pleasure of meeting your siblings only a moment ago," She stated, as if it wasn't a pleasure at all. Derek mentally rolled his eyes. The secretary had the maturity level of a typical high school bitch. The title was written all over her, what with a striped pencil skirt and a hot pink blouse that exposed a little too much in Derek's opinion. Her face was finely masked in cosmetics as her small frame held lingering accessories. A desperate attempt to contain youth.

Derek figured she had to be forty.

"Here's your schedule." She said slowly, as if talking to someone who was mentally ill. Derek ground his teeth together and ripped the schedule from the receptionist's hand. She jumped back and threw him a cautious look.

"Ignore the class times for now Mr. Souza. We are on the assembly schedule today as the pep rally is after second hour."

"It's not optional?" Derek questioned incredulously. He was exceptionally miffed that he would be forced to attend the spirit fest. On any other occasion, Derek would prefer to skip, but with his current situation, that wasn't an option. It was either the assembly or more police and counselor involvement. Personally, Derek rather take on the police again as he would have done nothing wrong this time. But he couldn't stand the idea of putting his family through all that again, especially his dad who had worked so hard to get him this second chance.

The secretary shook her head curtly before passively dismissing him with a wave of her hand.

"Move along Mr. Souza, class is starting. And remember, if there-"

"I'm aware," Derek snapped, not really needing the constant reminder that he had messed up and was now under watch for, 'Unstable activity.'

Derek barely heard the receptionist scoff as he rounded the corner back into the hallway he had come from.

**English 12, Room 24.**

Derek trudged into yet another beginning. Except this time, he was walking into his own scheduled hell.

_At least I can walk._


	2. Chapter 2 Innocence or Manipulation

**Author's Note- As this story begins, I decided to release two chapters- one after the other- to set the plot a little more. **

**Thanks again to Lauren, for looking over these chapters for me. Loves you deary!**

**Comments, questions, or concerns? Feel free to review or PM me. I promise to reply to all notable reviewers, and comment to all anonymous souls as well.**

**Enjoy!**

_What's happening to me, and where the hell am I?_

**Chapter 2- Innocence or Manipulation**

To Derek's displeasure, the first two hours passed by rather quickly- the time period shortened due to the upcoming assembly. He winced inwardly once the bell sounded and there was an eruption of cheers, chatter and laughter throughout his AP Histories of America class. How could they all be so happy and enthused? Wasn't there possibly anything more important than blatantly evading reality by expressing such excitement for something they will never even think about ten years from now, when life truly mattered?

Surprisingly, the answer is yes.

Regretfully, the topic of more important interest was Derek himself.

All throughout the short hours of his English 12 and AP Histories of America classes, Derek became the subject of side-conversations and careful glances. Derek was used to this. He was a big guy. Big and rather intimidating actually. He always wore baggy sweatshirts and jeans to make him look thicker in a less defined way. And through the majority of his moves, this tactic seemed to work. Other students tended to find him less intimidating and, well, less scary.

But this time was different. Rumors had been flying through this school at the speed of light. Derek simply entered the school little over an hour ago and yet students were cautiously waiting for him. He could see it. He could see the change in atmosphere once he entered a room that was so different than how it used to be.

People used to look at him, make their assumptions, and then return to their own lives, not even giving him the time of day.

Now they kept their eyes open, searching for any sight of him so they could find the quickest route out of his way. Because this time, they were actually afraid. And God only knows what kind of story the truth had become by now.

And it could stay that way.

Derek didn't want to know, nor did he care what the rumor was. No one was there, no one knew him, and no one knew anything. They could spread their rumors and whisper their gossip. They could fear him, hate him, whatever…

He was still the one who had to live with the guilt.

* * *

Relief washed over Derek when he spotted Simon's blonde spikes produce from a crowd of spirit induced students standing in front of the school's gym.

Simon looked like their dad- Derek had no resemblance whatsoever for he had been adopted- lean, tall, strictly angular facial structure and light brown, almond shaped eyes. And a smile that spoke a thousand words. Simon was typically an open book to anyone who knew him. He was just that way. An all-out friendly person without even trying.

He was Derek's brother, and more importantly, Derek's best friend.

"Hey bro! Get a load of this school. Extreme spirit huh?"

Derek grunted in response, a sense of tension that he hadn't been aware of lessening at Simon's smile. He was already adapting and, if anything, that made Derek feel better. Simon wasn't one to hold a grudge, and though he rejected the idea of being mad at Derek for what had happened- which Derek doubted- he was sure whatever ill feelings he held were gone now.

This was Simon's kind of environment.

"I rather not be here," Derek stated slowly. The group of students around Simon quickly maneuvered their way into the gym, throwing nervous looks over their shoulders in Derek's direction.

"Yeah, I know. But lighten up, Derek. You've been-" Simon was cut off by a small group of girls hustling into the gym behind him. In their haste, a blonde stumbled out of the pack and barreled right into Simon's back.

"S-sorry," She flustered, pink gracing her rather pale cheeks. Before the two boys could make anything of her, she was pulled by her friends into the boisterous gymnasium. And just as she vanished into the sea of students she glanced back over her shoulder, eyes filled with apology towards Simon before they traveled-

Baby blue eyes locked with Derek's and sparked into- curiosity?

And in an instant they were gone. The moment passed.

"Familiar faces. Finally! God this school is practically sweating with enthusiasm. What the hell did we just walk into, High School Musical?"

Tori pushed through a mob of adolescence, shooting glares at whoever protested in her wake. She approached Simon and Derek heatedly, her lips twisted in an annoyed scowl.

"And if Zach Efron were to bound through the doors at this very moment you wouldn't leap at the chance to break into song with him? However will you convince him that you two are soul mates," Simon teased, mock horror masked his face. Tori's cheeks heated in anger, her fingers flexed threateningly at her sides as if she were refraining from slapping him.

So both Tori and Simon were back to their normality. Derek released an amused and slightly relieved grunt before he cautiously took hold of Tori's sleeve and pulled her into the gym, his plan to kill a coming farce between his siblings before it occurred.

* * *

"Gooooooood Morning Buffalo High!"

There was an eruption of cheers and whistles throughout the gym. Several stood, causing a clatter to echo against the walls and rebound off the very bleachers that triggered the noise.

_If it continues like this,_ Derek thought as the chanting ceased to end. A small ringing produced in his ears, making his head throb. His claustrophobia tickled his insides uneasily, his consciousness becoming wary and anxious. _We're never getting out of here._

"Alright, alright." The boy on the microphone stood in the very center of the gym. His tousled blonde locks fell over his temples flawlessly, giving his jaw and facial bone structure a good frame. His very look screamed preppy.

Senior class spirit counselor. A class idol and senior heartthrob no doubt.

He flapped his arms unevenly, mimicking for the commotion to end. The gym cooperated as if he were God.

"So I have one question for you Bison's. Are you all pumped and ready for tonight's game!"

The wave of screams was uncomfortably louder than before. _What was the fucking point of telling them to shut up if you were going to have them scream again?_ Derek growled in displeasure.

"I can't hear you!"

Was it even possible for the confined teenagers to shout louder?

Unfortunately, the answer was yes, and because of this, Derek was ready to stab himself; though he knew too well that no pain would be greater than this.

"Great, great! Alright, that's what I like to hear! Now without further stalling! Let's give a mighty Bison welcome to our Bisonette's, Buffalo High's dance team!"

Derek watched impassively as several girls, wearing the same blue and white uniform as the group of females who had bumped into Simon earlier, pranced across the gym floor animatedly, including the blonde who rushed out with an awkward, shy skip. They bounced into a diamond formation, jumping and kicking and cheering as they riled up the already excited audience.

Derek leaned back against the seat behind him, as no one was sitting there, and crossed his arms, finally giving in and mentally preparing for the horrific event. Simon on the other hand did the opposite. He leaned forward eyes bright with interest. It wasn't so much that he was checking them out or anything, Simon was more respectful than that. No matter how many girls he had wrapped around his magic fingers, he always seemed to keep a level head. He was merely intrigued, his interest particularly caught by the girl who had ran into him.

Derek found himself watching her too, only because she was attention grabbing in an agonizingly painful way. She looked out of place but seemed to have the power to fit in at the same time. Yet it was blatantly obvious to Derek that the small girl did not belong in this picture at all.

She had a small build in just about everything, and her skin was a pale porcelain shade. Her hair was rather flat in its high ponytail, where the only distinct characteristic about it was the hint of a strawberry red tone peeking through in the right light. Compared to the others around her, she was fairly underdeveloped and, all together, extremely youthful.

And her stature, the way she held herself with high levels of self-consciousness- not that Derek was one to judge about self-esteem- it just made it all the more clear that the girl was misplaced.

Derek came to the understanding that, to her misfortune, she looked too innocent and vulnerable for her own good. He instantly pegged her as easy prey for the predators of high school and the real world, and for some reason beyond him, that was upsetting and unsettling.

The team stopped fidgeting and jumping around finally and took a neutral position that silenced the gym with anticipation and excitement. The aura licked at Derek's senses, making his caged feeling increase. Now it was just too quiet.

It was as if the entire student body shut down in waiting.

The speakers screeched before unleashing a blare of outrageous nonsense that happened to be so called, _'music,'_ and, in reaction, the team jolted back to life, moving swiftly with locked transitions and precise movements as a roar erupted from the crowd.

"Wow. She's really good," Simon muttered in awe, his eyes locked onto the petite blonde on the dance team. Derek couldn't deny that she was on cue and moved just as evenly as the other girls. In fact, she looked really good out there, older even. But it still felt wrong.

Tori- sitting between Simon and Derek on the bleachers- snorted as her lips curled into an unpleasant sneer. She had followed Simon's gaze, the newest target of her bitchiness came into her line of fire. The poor thing was doomed.

"Yeah, I've heard stuff already about little miss blonde, perky, and perfect. Rumor is that with a single bat of her big blue eyes, she can have any guy wrapped around her finger instantly. What a joke."

Witnessing how engrossed Simon was with the girl in prosecution, not to mention that annoying _pure innocence_ facet tagged to her identity, led Derek to believe such a trivial piece of gossip. To an extent that is. Because _he_ wasn't impressed and could honestly care less.

"Tori, you're making judgments about an ability you only wish you had," Simon exclaimed. His tone expressed humor but his eyes lit up in a small fire of agitation.

"You shouldn't get too worked up about it anyways," Derek noted as he knew Tori all too well. "It's only a stupid rumor-"

"Oh, I'm not denying that she has it. It's not just talk, I mean look at her. I'm just disappointed that everyone falls for it."

"Don't exaggerate, not everyone-"

"You're denying it," she asked disbelievingly. "Oh, well then tell me something Derek." Tori emphasized the _'K'_ at the end of his name with a sinister twitch of her lips. Her eyes sparked menacingly.

"Why haven't you taken your eyes off of her since she pranced out onto that floor?"

Derek rolled his eyes to the ceiling and opened his mouth to retort.

But nothing came out.

**Comments, questions, or concerns? Review!**


	3. Chapter 3 Bet or Commitment

**Author's Note- I felt severely spoiled this past week with all of your reviews, favorites, and subscriptions. Several of you guys even subscribed to me as an author which made me do giddy little dances.**

**If I did not reply to your review, I apologize as I might have missed you in the line up. And if you were anonymous, without a profile to reply to, then I want to give you guys as special shout out.**

**-_doarfthXx, YourSantaClause_ (You had Lauren and I laughing over your review. Thank you.), _darkangel24, larissa, and Little necro._**

**Thanks again for your reviews everyone!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_Pride keeps me from refusing a challenge. One day it will be my downfall... And my sister knows it._

**Chapter 3- Bet or Commitment**

Tori's lips twisted into a smug smile of victory. Derek flustered mentally before spitting out, "She just looks lost out there. It's painful to watch."

Simon's brows knit together as he gave his brother a questioning look. "What are you talking about? She looks good, like she loves what she's doing."

Derek eyed Simon warily. How could he not see it?

"Okay, well we already know Simon's smitten." Tori received a frown for that one. "But it's so typical of you, Derek, to get all defensive. Admit it, you're under the little blonde's spell too."

"There is nothing to admit, I don't-" Tori clicked her tongue in exasperation.

"Fine, you think you're so much better than every other pea-brained male specimen on this planet-"

"I don't-"

"I bet you'll fall for her 'innocence-'" Tori bounced her fingers in air quotes around the word, her tone depicting it as more of an accusation than a sole characteristic. "-just as bad as everyone else."

Derek's jaw clenched, his mind raging against his pride's automatic reaction to accept. The idea was utterly stupid, what was the point? It wasn't like he was going to go out of his way to be acquainted with the girl in order to prove Tori wrong. In fact, all he really had to do was the opposite, the 'usual,' in which case was to not even bother. She was just another person, and just like anyone else, Derek was perfectly fine with casting her out of his life.

The bet was in the bag for him, gift wrapped an all, ready for the taking. Derek had no doubt he would come out on top, so why not take advantage?

"Name your terms."

Tori smirked, eyes sparking in an inner excitement. She really was confident, wasn't she? Underestimating, that's for sure.

"College applications. You won't have a problem filling all mine out for me, as well as yours, huh, big boy?"

Derek frowned.

"That's it?"

"And, I get your car for the summer."

"Tori there's a reason why you don't have a car," Simon cut in.

"Yeah, the same reason you don't have a car genius," Tori retorted. Derek rolled his eyes and cut in before their round of banter began.

"And what if I win?"

"You won't," Tori said impassively, as if she were bored with the subject already.

"My college applications, you have to fill out all of them. And believe me, I guarantee they're a hell of a lot harder to fill out than yours will be."

"You're so on, big boy."

Derek released a low, amused chuckle before allowing his eyes to fall to the gym floor where the pep rally was taking place. To his surprise, he didn't find the blonde in her previous place of the dance team formation as the assembly had moved passed its performance.

A nameless something in Derek's chest shifted in an unsettling manner.

But, it wasn't as if he had been _looking_ for her in the first place.

* * *

Derek, relieved by the end of the devil's parade, took a vacant seat in the back of his third hour class. Career and Consumer Connections. Buffalo High had a list of requirements towards a student's graduation. Including several 'must take' classes like Government and Career and Consumer Connections- CCC for short.

As a senior, Derek was automatically shoved into these two classes in order to ensure his graduation. No need to keep a troubled kid in high school longer than he needed to be. It's not worth the hassle and strain. Yet, to Derek's displeasure, being put into these required classes meant he had to sacrifice others. That would be AP Physics and any form of gym class as he had already fulfilled his credits for these subjects by his sophomore year. The process was a giant argument, but, in the end, the verdict was in favor of the school's administration.

At least Derek had AP Trigonometry to look forward to.

Derek's favorite subjects had always been math and science. He was a genius. Not that he liked to wave a banner over his head claiming so, but he couldn't deny his talent, especially with his high ranking test scores and placement into college courses.

This is why Tori would go through hell filling his applications. Derek would be applying to school's that were looking for the best of the best. Of course, he would wind up finishing the applications himself anyways. He couldn't trust anyone else to do the work right unless he did it himself. It wasn't that his family would purposefully sabotage his chances of getting into a top rank school, even Tori wasn't that much of a bitch. But Derek would rather be safe than sorry.

The feeling of victory over Tori would be enough for Derek in this bet. And maybe a little torture as he would enjoy Tori's stress through his applications before he took over. The idea put a small smile on his face.

"Well, well. What have we got here Ramon," a low drawl cooed from across the room. Derek would have continued to pay no mind if not for the return remark.

"Looks like we got ourselves a new guy."

"Not just any new guy." The owner of the first comment sat with a thud in the seat beside Derek's, scooting his desk a little closer, to Derek's discomfort. He rested his scruffy chin against his wrist as his elbow propped against the table. His thin lips were pulled back in a crooked smirk, dark blue eyes flashing in some sort of edgy excitement as they sized Derek up. A few loose strands of his sandy collar length hair fell into his face as the rest lay in an untidy ponytail at the nape of his neck.

His friend, Ramon, took the seat in front of Derek, turning in his chair as he leaned back and lounged against the desk. He was shorter than his friend, bigger too. Dark hair and eyes that didn't necessarily hold the same interest as the blonde, only mere amusement.

"You think 'es-"

"Yeah," The kid across from Derek reached out his free hand in greeting. "Name's Liam, this here is Ramon. Got a name?"

Derek eyed Liam's hand distrustfully. Several seconds passed until Liam's face broke out into an amused grin and he dropped his hand back to his desk. Derek exhaled and shifted in his seat until he was leaning back against his chair with his arms crossed over his chest.

"I'm sure you two already know who I am." Liam released a chortled laugh.

"Hear that, Ramon? New guy's got some attitude."

"Sure does," Ramon joined in.

"So," Liam continued. " Big, bad, Derek Souza. The rumors true, or what?"

"I doubt it," Derek stated monotonously.

"Really? So you didn't actually morph into some scary, black wolf and go rampant on some defenseless junior," Liam asked in mock credulousness. Ramon snickered as Derek threw the blonde a look that questioned his intelligence.

"Gossip is overrated anyways. Not our style," Ramon explained. Derek noted that they both seemed to lean a little closer at his words. "We like to know what really happened. The inside dirt, gory details and all."

Derek gave them both their own respective glares, saving Liam for last, as he particularly didn't like the look he was receiving from him. A look of superiority and expectancy, of enjoyment and humor, as if the subject was a complete riot. A look than seemed to tell him that Liam truly believed Derek didn't have a choice but to tell him.

The vibes he was getting from this guy...

"It's none of your busi-" To escape Liam's gaze, Derek shifted his own towards the door of the class as he was telling his unwanted attention off. Unfortunately, as if a higher power willed an uncomfortable distraction to hit Derek, a group of girls in their dance team uniforms filed into the class. The small blonde girl was among them.

She was entirely distracted herself, her eyes cast down as she skimmed over a piece of paper in her hands. One of her companions got her attention though, placing a hand on her wrist and leaning into her ear. There was a quick whispered comment before her blue eyes jumped up in their direction.

At first they landed on Liam, who, Derek saw out of his peripheral vision, flashed her a greedy smirk and winked. Derek wondered dismissively if there was something between them. Yet, her cheeks flushed and her eyes widened, quickly shifting away to find anything else, that wasn't Liam, to look at.

And that something else, at the moment, happened to be Derek.

Her clear blue orbs locked onto his momentarily. The sudden nerves she gained from a passing look towards Liam vanished instantly, only to be replaced by innocent curiosity. Her brows knit together in what seemed like an act of concentration and her head tilted a fraction to the side, all the while keeping Derek's gaze.

Said boy soon found the contact to be held against his will and was about to break it, or attempt to, before Ramon nudged his shoulder, yanking back his attention.

"Eyes off, big boy. Liam's been tryin' to snatch that bait since semester started."

"The dance team," Derek snorted, the sound filled with anything but humor.

"No, the blonde cutie _on_ the dance team," Liam interjected. His sudden re-entrance into the conversation threw Derek off guard. Liam's concentration was so intense his entire being seemed to quiet in reaction and Derek nearly forgot he was there. But even now, Liam's eyes lingered over the girl's body in some unknown emotion as she took a seat near the door.

The effect was almost creepy.

"Girl flat out refuses me, and unlike my clueless friend here, I can take a hint and I've moved on. Girl's a little young for me anyways," Ramon sighed, his interest in the subject already lost.

"She's sixteen," Liam defended.

"And you're eighteen."

"You're point?"

"I don't know, you tell me, you moron. Chloe Saunders is un-datable. She's turned down every other guy in this school, except for that Nate kid last year-"

"That was a total fluke. Nate made up some bullshit story about her helping him with some theater project, and that she asked him to one of our school's lame-ass dances. You know, the one on the same night as our football game at state."

"So, what's your point then?"

"The dance team has to participate in every game. Chloe wasn't even here for the dance. And since when was she in to theater?"

Derek pressed his thumb and finger to the bridge of his nose, an effort to fight back the threatening headache being produced by these two neanderthals. They were almost as bad as Tori and Simon, but he could tolerate his siblings.

Besides, there was something about Liam that truly bothered Derek.

"On a different note, cutie's stubbornness makes it all the more worth the effort."

"Oh, here we go," Ramon muttered.

"As you may have noticed," Liam said as he leaned in towards Derek, his proximity was far to close for Derek's comfort zone, which was crossed a_ long_ time ago. "Chloe Saunders isn't all that flashy, unlike all these other pep leaches at this school."

Derek gave him a wary look. Where was he going with this?

"She's the odd one out, more reserved. And maybe, that's what you'd expect from a girl like her." Liam glanced over his shoulder, eyes fawning over her body, whose back was turned to him. The way his eyes greedily traveled up and down the girl- Chloe- The way he looked at Chloe made something inside Derek's stomach squirm. His fist subconsciously clenched against his bicep.

"So small, with wide blue eyes," Liam whispered. "But she's as stubborn and as prideful as an ox. I just want to-"

Derek watched as Liam struggled for the right words. He took that faltered moment to cast his eyes towards Chloe. Her shoulder blades and the line against her jaw were stiff, her body almost looked as if it were closing in on itself.

She could feel Liam's stare couldn't she?

"I just want to... _break_ her."

It took that split second- where Derek's eyes snapped back to Liam's, where he saw the desire and thirst hibernate within him, and felt his predator-like aura roll off of him in sickening waves- for Derek to realize that he did not like Liam... _at all_.

**Happy New Year everyone! Comments, questions, or concerns? Please review XD - _A side note: this story is no powers (suzi), but there will be plenty of references to the characters sensitivity in those areas._**


	4. Chapter 4 The Library is a Magical Place

**Author's Note- Wow, guys. I'm very grateful to have everyone's continuous interest. Thanks to all you readers, especially those who have reviewed. You guys almost make me spill out another chapter within hours of an update- FYI I'm already working on chapter 7- but, I promised myself to keep a consistency with updates. Weekly- depending on the reaction towards the previous update. Which is why I'm releasing chapter 4 a little early. )**

**Thanks to all you anonymous souls who I could not reply to their reviews. **

_**YourSantaClause, (Of course. Please don't stalk me :)) jezz, judytwos, and doarfthXx.**_

**And, of course, a special thanks to Lauren- Lauren94- for being a supporting beta with my first few chapters, including this one. Check out her fics as well. _Perfect_ is absolutely amazing, I give my highest recommendations towards it.**

**I hope everyone enjoys this chapter! **

* * *

_Why is this time any different?_

**Chapter 4- The Library is a Magical Place**

The passing week had gone by much more smoothly than Derek's first day. The feel of the school's regular schedule became second nature to Derek instantly the next day, and the weekend passed all too quickly for his liking.

Monday and Tuesday were uneventful. The teachers didn't feel as if Derek needed to participate in any catch up towards his classes as they examined his previous scores. The same old routine as any other move he had, but Derek was sure that the teacher's lack of motivation to have _him_ participate in anything was a major factor in the decision this time around.

The curriculum was weaker than some of Derek's previous schools. He'd seen worse, but he figured this is why they had so many requirements for a student to graduate, to make up for their crappy teaching methods. In a nutshell, homework was not a problem for Derek and he found that he had a lot of extra free time. Free time, in which, he spent a little differently than his siblings.

Tori already befriended someone on their returning Monday of school. Derek didn't know what was scarier, the idea that someone actually wanted to be friends with Tori, or the fact that this new friend was a cheerleader.

Tori hates cheerleaders.

Tori is a very complicated individual. She isn't exactly a perfect member of Derek's strange family either. She had a different mom than Simon, and a nut job mom at that. The story is really long-winded and painful for Tori, but basically Tori's biological mom played favorites with her younger half-sister. In Tori's own speculations, her half-sister, was the cheerleader 'type.'

Tori was severely rejected by her own mother, and when Tori turned thirteen- the age in which a child with divorced, separated, or conflicting parents could choose their guardian of preference- she chose to live with her dad, Kit Bae. Tori hasn't seen, or so much as heard from her other family since then, and in Derek's opinion, she was much better off. Believe it or not, her attitude used to be a whole lot worse than our present day ray of sunshine.

So it was practically a sign of an apocalypse that Tori found friendship with a girl who's middle name should be prep.

Elizabeth Delaney.

She goes by Liz for short, and she is an extremely bubbly, and talkative character. She's even too nice for her own good. She has nothing bad to say about anyone, and even if she was a member of the world's most renowned gossip group, she seemed to keep a level, and down to earth head. She was just happy, kind of like a girly version of Simon.

Simon spent his time with whoever held his attention at the passing moment. That was just his character. He didn't really belong to a specific clique- not that Tori did either- so he would strike up a conversation with just about anyone. Especially the girls.

Girls fawned over Simon. It was just something about him- whether it was his looks, his charm, or artistic talent- that pulled them in. It was shocking, the kinds of things girls would do in order to get his attention. Even, and this was really rare, talking to Derek in order to get to Simon. That hasn't particularly happened here yet, and Derek was grateful. Even if it was because of the rumors going around about him.

Simon still took a special interest towards the basketball team, as he had high hopes of joining a team this year since the season would be starting at the end of the semester. He hadn't stayed in a place long enough to try out for a team in a long time. Possibly since about his freshman year. So it was particularly evident that Simon was looking forward to that this time around.

So, as Tori spent her lunch hour with Liz on Wednesday, and Simon with the team, Derek found himself roaming the shelves of the school's library. Their expansion of books wasn't that impressive, and Derek was disappointed in the quantity. But a library was somewhat of a sanctuary to Derek nonetheless. Quiet, and reserved. A repellant against high school's horrid cliches.

Derek was enjoying the peace, idly flipping through a book on molecular engineering and DNA design, when he heard a small noise that sounded something like a struggling, sick kitten.

At first he chose to ignore it, but the sound seemed to grow in volume before extinguished by a ragged huff coming from a frustrated person. And then it started again.

The noise was rather annoying, so with pure intentions as to discover the owner and silence whatever, or whoever it was, Derek peaked around the shelf of his isle and glanced towards the back corner of the library.

Lo and behold, tiny Chloe Saunders was stretched on her tippy-toes against a shelf where her fingers were barely brushing a book three shelves above her own height. The struggling sound was escaping her parted lips as she attempted to grab her target. The sight was just... sad and disappointing.

Derek couldn't honestly proclaim that he hasn't thought about Chloe since his first day at Buffalo High. Simply because that would be a big, fat lie.

He, with much frustration, found himself worried about her at the game Thursday night. What Liam had said about her disturbed Derek, and like he had observed about the girl earlier, she just seemed like easy prey for guys like him. And for some reason, this anxiety was born when Derek concluded two things. Liam stated that Chloe and the dance team had to participate in every game. He also hinted that he and Ramon were actually players on the team.

Derek tried- desperately tried- to not let his paranoia affect him that night. He just had a really bad feeling about the idea of Liam being around Chloe, and this was very irritating considering he didn't particularly know either of them, especially Chloe.

Derek didn't need to know a lot about Liam to know that he was a creep. And Derek would have to be an idiot not to see the fear in Chloe's eyes when they landed on Liam last Thursday.

That was his only justification for losing sleep that night and anxiously awaiting third hour the next day to see if Chloe was okay. After that, Derek made clear efforts to ignore her.

But she was _everywhere_. He waited for her Friday, simply to make sure she was still as innocent as he remembered, but she was also at the video store with one of her friends on Saturday, and at her locker- merely a few away from his own- Monday morning, as well as third hour and around the halls of the school the rest of the day and Tuesday. And now she was in the library at lunch?

And even with as many times as he'd told himself that he was not going to lose this bet, he still pitied her predicament. With a sigh and a mental slap against the act, Derek trudged his way to Chloe's shelf.

At this point she was desperately jumping to reach the book as one hand gripped and rocked the shelf. Though the picture was almost pathetically comical, Derek couldn't fight back his rising frustration. What the hell was she thinking?

He approached her from behind, and reached over her to take hold of the book of her choice. He was a good foot or so taller than her after all, the task was no great feat.

It didn't really surprise him that she jumped and gave a startled yelp. She whipped around, pressing her back against the shelf as a reaction to being surprised, and ascended her view quite a bit till her wide, glassy eyes met his.

For a moment, they were filled with as much fear as her exchange of glances with Liam the previous week. Had she suspected him?

A worse question was what has he done to make her suspect him? Of course, it could be Derek's imagination, but Chloe seemed very sensitive around the guy. That idea made Derek's insides convulse.

Then he was suddenly ridden with guilt. Chloe's look reflected what Derek had seen when he lost his temper only a few weeks ago. Horror.

But the moment passed, Chloe relaxed. Granted, she was still tense from being startled, from someone she didn't know no less, and who knows what she'd heard about him. But her complexion colored, a tint of pink touched her cheeks, and her eyes fluttered in embarrassment.

"U-um, th-thanks," she stuttered as she reached for the book in Derek's outstretched hand. Her voice was as small and soft as her character. She hugged the book to her chest and swiftly tucked a stray strand of wispy, strawberry blonde hair behind her ear as she looked away nervously. She looked as if she were trying to find something to say.

Derek, taking notice as to how close he was actually standing next to her, took a step back and merely grunted a reply. He turned away, deciding to leave the moment as is. His first intention was to silence his momentary distraction anyways, but a thought occurred to him before he could make the decision to leave final. His previous annoyance returned.

"You should be more careful. The shelf could have tipped right on top of you," he said, letting slip a tone of authority. Her attention was instantly his again, and the effect of her hardening eyes more or less shocked Derek.

"I-I-" She stole a second to take a deep breath, eyes flashing briefly with inner frustration, before her jaw set stubbornly. "I appreciate your help and all, but I didn't ask for it in the first place."

Derek raised his eyebrows in surprise. At this point, he found himself completely dumbfounded as to what to think of Chloe Saunders. It was obvious, by the defiant look in her eyes, that she did not like this. She did not like being judged, or worse, underestimated.

"I would have figured out a way to get it myself," she snapped. Derek snorted which resulted in the narrowing of Chloe's eyes.

To Derek, the small girl was no longer quiet and painfully awkward. She was disarmingly comical. Her attitude was a complete contradiction of her being.

With an exhale of aggravation, Chloe shoved passed Derek and fled the library, leaving Derek alone with his renewed thoughts.

So the rumors about Chloe Saunders were true. She _was_ as stubborn and as prideful as an ox. But that's honestly not the facet that made Derek shake his head in biter amusement. It was the fact that the encounter they just had was different. Different from what Derek expected, something so different it left Derek feeling incredulously stupid for being just as judgmental as everyone was with him.

The bell informed the school that lunch was over, and Derek followed Chloe's trail out of the library with a frustrated smirk gracing his features.

**Things are starting to pick up, and once we reach chapter 8, we get to the thickening and conflicts of the plot. Questions, comments, concerns? Critic? Let me know! Review!**


	5. Chapter 5 Either Me or Him

**Author's Note- Thanks readers- especially those who stopped to review- for the support! I'm happy that you guys are enjoying this fic. I'm glad I decided to get ahead on chapters, it took me a week to finish chapter 7. But it took me one night to finish chapter 8 ;)**

**A shout out to my anonymous commenters-**

**_doarfthXx, and Marlene Andrea. _**

**I'm sorry if I didn't to reply to anyone elses reviews, and I gratefully thank you!**

**Please enjoy this chapter everyone! Happy reading!**

* * *

_What have I gotten myself into?_

**Chapter 5- Either Me or Him**

"I'm thinking December," Tori stated flippantly from the passenger seat of Derek's black Sedan. After their first day a whole week ago, Derek became the designated driver on his and his siblings' daily commute to school. The comment pulled Derek out of his current trail of thought- a dangerous trail in fact- one that included his third hour CCC class. It was the first thing that came to mind when Derek purposefully looked for any distraction from the creepy, white house they passed each morning. That and libraries. But he blanched nonetheless and threw Tori a quizzical look.

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, you know. You're so far in denial at the moment, but I'm thinking you'll finally crack in December."

"Denial about what?"

"She's talking about your stupid bet involving Chloe," Simon noted from the back seat with a little bite in his tone. It was his turn to receive questioning glances. "What? I don't like this little game you guys are playing. One, Derek isn't going to willingly admit his losses, even though I seriously doubt he will lose in the first place-"

"Hey," Derek retorted, taking slight offense. "I'm honorable."

"Sure. My second point is that Chloe's not some- some test experiment. She's a person, a human being. Ever heard of them? You know, they have feelings and-"

"Yes, Simon, we are all aware of what a person is. I also happen to be aware of your current defensiveness, meaning that you've already fallen, hard," Tori said snidely.

"You haven't even met her yet," Derek muttered as he pulled into the student lot across from the school. He pulled the parking permit from the dashboard and hung it upon the rear-view mirror. It _bothered_ him. Since when did these kinds of things _bother_ him? Simon could have- and usually did have- any other girl in the world. There were plenty of other fish in the sea, on the dance team even. So why, right now, did it have to be Chloe?

"Actually Chloe's my Shakespeare project partner in second hour," Simon said passively.

"Since when?" The question slipped before Derek could stop it. Suddenly the title of the book he had gotten for Chloe the previous day in the library flickered through his memory. _No Fear, Shakespeare._ "You're terrible with Shakespeare," Derek added quickly to cover his abrupt wave of frustration towards Simon. Though it couldn't quite be defined as frustration. It was more of a boiling in the pit of his stomach sensation.

"Since yesterday. And I know. That's why the teacher paired me up with Chloe. Turns out she has a knack for plots and scripts. Plus she got me this book, _No Fear, Shakespeare._ It's like a cheat sheet for all his plays and stuff. Guess it even pays to not be such a genius, huh?" At this point Simon was grinning rather foolishly as he and Derek crossed the road towards the school. Tori had lost interest long ago and fled off to meet up with Liz. Now Derek was stuck with Simon, who chattered away about how smart and sweet Chloe was.

Derek deterred away from Simon in the hall, who frowned and called after him. "You're no fun!" Derek ignored him and continued to his English 12 class, where he was also studying Shakespeare.

* * *

By the end of second hour, Derek's eyes were permanently glued to the clock. How could a single hour last what seemed like days or even weeks? An hour was a long time for Simon to-

To what? To charm frail, innocent, unsuspecting Chloe senseless? Be a respectful guy to her that she probably hasn't been acquainted with in a long time, if ever. To be that perfect obstacle to keep guys like Liam away.

What was so bad about that?

A better question was why the hell did Derek care in the first place?

How many girls had Simon been through since- since he was twelve? How many of them actually acknowledged Derek, or received any consolation from him in return? Well, the answer to the second question was simple. Excluding a few- very, very few- girls who approached Derek to get to Simon, the answer was none. Derek hardly paid any mind to Simon's montage of girlfriends. He hardly realized when they switched either. Leaving the answer to the first just as clear. He didn't know because he never paid attention.

So why was he paying attention now?

And even if that question was answerable- which, to Derek, it wasn't- what was Chloe to him? He didn't know Chloe, she didn't know him. All they shared was a rough encounter in a library, where, out of annoyance, Derek helped her out- to help himself, of course- and she barely gave him a thank you. Instead she barked at him.

So, what the hell?

Besides, Derek had nothing to be anxious about- not that he was anxious, no, never- as to what might happen between Simon and Chloe.

It was rumored to be true, that Chloe Saunders was un-datable. And based on what Derek gathered about said girl, this fact wasn't just talk. Derek Souza didn't base anything off talk, only hard, cold evidence.

And the evidence was there, it was-

Derek started as the bell sounded. His eyes refocused onto the clock, the long hand now ten minutes past where he remembered it to be merely seconds ago. And it was in these few mere seconds that Derek realized he wasn't just _seeing_ Chloe all the time.

He was _thinking_ about her all the time.

_Damn it_, Derek growled mentally before he roughly shoved out of his desk and through the doorframe of his Histories of America class.

* * *

Derek trudged heatedly into his third hour class only a mere three minutes and forty-five seconds late, but late nonetheless. The door closed in his wake with a large thud, giving him all the attention he did not want but pointedly ignored anyways. He was mentally and psychologically exhausted at this point and he still had five hours of school ahead of him.

Two hours of relentless torture- the act of thinking about Chloe was just that- and Derek was ready for the weekend. Not to mention he was so aggravated with himself for being- being so- so what? He couldn't even recognize what was happening to himself, and because of this, he'd been having a hard time concentrating.

First, during the passing period, he turned down the wrong hallway when making his way to his locker. He took note that he was already heading to the opposite side of the school where his CCC class resided. With a string of curses, Derek turned around, because he _had_ to have his Career and Consumer Connection book or he would lose ten participation points and half his credit for the day. He was _not_ about to let his grades start slipping because of some girl.

Second, his locker refused to open the first two times he worked the lock. But the third times the charm, and by the time he had his book stuffed in his backpack- carelessly as he was rather flustered at the moment- the bell released a tantalizing shrill as class started.

Three minutes, and forty-six seconds later- "Nice of you to join us Mr. Souza, take a seat so I can repeat the assignment," Mr. Beck droned, giving Derek a small glare for being late to his class. Surely that would cost Derek some participation and credit, but not as much as forgetting his book. So with a small- so, very small- sense of satisfaction he took the only open seat in sight. It was somewhat in the middle of the room, but closer to the door. It didn't matter. The sooner he could get out of this class the better.

Derek was done. He had come to a sort of resolve while angrily making his way back to the other end of the school to his CCC class. He wasn't going to let Chloe Saunders turn his life into a cluster fuck. He wasn't going to let her reside in his thoughts any longer, not the way she had been in the past week. In fact, the only time he ever wanted to think of her, was with Simon. He wanted to think of her as just another one of his brother's girlfriends, where he would know that Chloe was getting only the utmost respect and attention.

Derek ignored how the bubbling in his gut returned at the idea and decided it was time to find a distraction. Because he was through with Chloe Saunders.

Unfortunately, the first thing Derek's eyes landed on- traitorously against his will and almost subconsciously- was none other than Chloe sitting a couple of feet away, across from the girl sitting in front of him. Derek groaned, two seconds away from banging his head against his desk.

Chloe glanced back at him curiously at the noise, eyes locking his- and his mind- into place. Something inside Derek's chest seemed to settle at her glance, that feeling in the pit of his stomach simmered and soon evaporated. But, the more she stared at him with examining eyes, the more the frustration built inside of Derek. He was _supposed_ to be done. He could feel his own gaze harden into a glare, and noticed that Chloe's cheeks colored before she looked away, releasing him from her hold. A hold she should _not_ have on him.

"The budgeting projects are worth forty percent of your grade. It will take you until the end of semester, as you and your partner- either an act of a significant other or room mate- will apply for jobs, receive regular 'paychecks', make important living purchases and budget yourselves as if you are already living in the real world. It is important for you juniors and seniors to understand how crucial budgeting is once you are on your own. Where will your money go? Rent? Home décor? Food? Basic necessities to survive? School loans? You have to keep all of this in mind when spending your money, because if you fail to do so you'll find yourselves in debt. Not a very great way to start your young lives, now is it?"

A 'no' echoed through the room, and for once Derek actually responded as well. This project made this class almost seem less of a waste of time. Finally, Derek was getting the very distraction he needed. He could put as much concentration into this project as need be, because though he was rather smart with math and calculating, it would be interesting to see what this experiment would show him about his future plans.

"Since you will be spending the majority of what remains of the semester on this project, I've decided to let you chose your own partners. But, chose wisely. Even the best of friends, and the tightest of relationships can be swayed by the reality that is the real world. Remember, you may agree now, but can always find a struggle along the road. Who is going to have your best interest at heart when you hit these obstacles?"

Mr. Beck turned away from the class and there was a sudden disturbance among the students as they raced to their partners. There were shouts, shoves, and cheers as no one took the teachers advice, and each person paired with who they were most comfortable with.

It didn't surprise Derek that no one approached him, and it didn't bother him either. If anything, he may as well wind up the only student without a partner, and it would be better for him anyways. He always worked better alone, where he knew he would be in his future if Simon were to settle down with someone else.

What _did_ surprise him was that a certain blonde wasn't approached either. She sat frozen to her desk, looking particularly frail and betrayed as she watched the girl who had been sitting beside her- in front of Derek- skip off with one of their acquaintances from the dance team. He recognized the dark haired girl from last Thursday as one of the members who had pulled Chloe into the gym after she ran into Simon. And later when she had gotten Chloe's attention, in this very classroom, by whispering something into Chloe's ear before Chloe glanced towards him and Liam.

"Rae," Chloe hissed urgently. Said girl threw her an apologetic look over her shoulder before calling, "Sorry girl, Amber asked me first."

"But-" Chloe started, fear igniting in her eyes. But then she was interrupted, and Derek could see why she was so anxious.

"Hey Chloe," Liam cooed sadistically. He had approached from behind, catching Chloe off guard. She jumped as he placed his hands on either side of her desk, towering over her back, and leaning dangerously close to her ear. Derek had an immediate impulse to rip him away from the poor girl. The look on her face...

"Come on cutie, want to be my partner?" Liam's thirsty smirk made Derek's insides twist in disgust. Chloe swallowed, her grip on her desk tightened until her knuckles turned white before she stuck her chin out in a manner of sudden unreasonable bravery.

"N-no, Liam, I-I-"

"She can't."

Both of them shot their eyes in Derek's direction, who was also tempted to turn around and see who had spoken out. But there was no denying it now that it was out. It was him, he had said it. And where he was going with it, he had no idea.

"What do you mean she can't," Liam said lowly, as he straightened out of the corner he had Chloe pinned in. He flashed Derek a warning look. A look telling him to back off. But Derek wasn't stupid, nor was he intimidated. Instead he focused on Chloe, who was staring at him in confusion.

"She already asked if I'd partner up with her. Sorry," Derek stated with a tone expressing that he was anything but sorry. "You're out of luck."

Liam's nostrils flared and he crossed his arms, eyes falling on Chloe for confirmation. Her mouth was agape, her expression just as shocked as Derek felt. And as if he hadn't said enough already, Derek added, "Right, Chloe?" He surprised himself by how gentle and sincere the question and gesture sounded.

But it took Chloe one more glance towards Liam to comply. She quickly stood from her seat, gathering her things.

"R-right. Sorry Liam," She gave him a fake smile of apology, throwing in all of her innocent quality before saying, "Maybe next time."

Derek also stood, but his movement was matched by Liam, who would have matched him eye to eye if not for a few inches in height and a row of desks standing between them. Derek had the urge to smirk in triumph, but he kept his cool, unemotional facade until Liam took a step back, an irritated grin masking his face. He turned his gaze to Chloe.

"I'll hold you to it, cutie." Then he sauntered away, but not before shooting one more defiant glare in Derek's direction.

Chloe shuddered, eyes cautiously flitting over Derek, question and anxiety filling her aura.

"Wh-why did you-"

"It was either me or him," Derek shrugged and closed the matter. Because now his biggest concern wasn't Liam preying on Chloe.

It was being stuck with Chloe- who he'd been trying so hard to avoid- for the rest of the semester.

**Questions, comments, concerns and especially critic are always welcome. I love your guys' reviews, so leave some!**


	6. Chapter 6 First Real Meeting

**Author's Note- OhMyGod, you guys are absolutely fantastic! I love, love, LOVED, the reaction to the last chapter so I had to post again today. Thanks readers, and reviewers- you all know who you are!**

**My shout-out this time is solely for suzi1811. As a devoted fan of my writing- considering she has been with me since the beginning of The Haunting- and for her fantastic- long- insightful reviews, I am awarding her a one-shot! Suzi, Review or PM me, with a prompt/ idea, and I'll write and post it just for you! **

**I decided the best way to improve my writing is to write a lot, different ideas, styles, etc. So I will be rewarding more of these. If anyone has any suggestions or requests, PM me. If they spark my interest I'll write and devote it to the genius individual who wanted me to approach it.**

**Sorry for the long AN! This chapter is for Lauren to rip apart as she pleases. Enjoy!**

* * *

_Sometimes, even the unexpected is a pleasant surprise._

**Chapter 6- First _Real _Meeting**

Derek did his best to keep his distance, he really did. But with Liam only a few feet away as the class made their way to the computer lab to start their projects, it was surprising that Derek wasn't already making physical contact with Chloe as a visual warning. He waged an internal war against his instincts to place his hand against the small of her back, to speed her pace and push her along the linoleum stretch in order to get her out of Liam's line of sickening desire.

Instead he put himself between the two, making sure his large stature cloaked Chloe's tiny one, and walked a rather quick pace so that Chloe was forced to keep up. Soon, but not without a glower of animosity, Liam fell behind, allowing Derek to relax and resume straight thinking.

It didn't matter what Chloe was to him- at this point, he repeatedly told himself they were only project bound classmates- Derek wasn't about to let innocence be destroyed by a creep like Liam. His conscious forbade him to turn a blind eye and that was all. There was nothing more to this situation than Derek's protective nature.

"Derek," Chloe questioned. The sound was hesitant, as if her mouth were actually testing the word, briefly sounding uncertain. Derek turned to her, not all that surprised that she knew his name, but notably stunned by the way she spoke it so freely. She misunderstood his expression and quickly noted, "You've shared a class with me for a week now. I'm sure I caught your name the same way you did mine."

Derek could see that she held a sense of defensiveness towards herself. Though her aura expressed she was still reserved and solicitous, her words didn't falter or stagger in that nervous habit of hers. She did the same thing in the library the day before. Her speech completely evolved when she felt prideful instead of anxious. And for a moment, Derek found this fact interesting. Like picking at Chloe's personality would help him dissolve and see through the assumptions and judgments made about her by her appearance.

But, getting to know Chloe was the absolute _last_ thing on his list, if it were there at all.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you knew everything about me, Chloe," Derek said bitterly, mind progressing through the idea of all the rumors she may have heard about him. He couldn't fight the wave of disappointment he felt at the thought; Chloe being just like everyone else that is.

"Oh, well then it must be a complete shocker that I don't," Chloe said, her tone hot with sarcasm. Derek looked at her evenly and for the first time since he laid eyes on her, she smiled- though, in a rather smug way- up at him. "Like I said, you've only shared a class with me for a week."

Derek rolled his eyes and raked a hand over his scalp as he looked away, pulling his- lankier than usual- dark hair from his face. Chloe's comment _almost_ hinted that she wanted to get to know him.

So, scratching out the last item on his list, he placed Chloe getting to know him on the bottom.

"Was there another reason you stroke up a conversation with me," Derek asked hotly, pushing down the flutters of what he believed to be hope, created by the prospect of Chloe wanting anything to do with him.

She frowned at him, taken aback instead of being rendered nervous and speechless as he had hoped.

"Well, we are supposed to be partners. Which was your idea in the first place. Why go through all of that with- with Liam if you didn't even want to have any form of communication, or at the very least professionalism? I mean, this is worth nearly half our grade and it actually worries me when you throw in a curve ball by saying 'was there another reason you stroke up a conversation with me?' Not that becoming your partner wasn't enough of a curve ball."

"If you didn't want to be my partner, Chloe, all you had to do was accept Liam's invitation. But, for some reason, I didn't think you were really into that. So if you expect more from this sudden relationship we've been thrust into, then you're horribly mistaken. And if you feel uncomfortable about being my partner, then its a little late now. Though, I'm sure Liam would be more than happy to jump your bones once you start complaining."

Chloe snorted at Derek's choice of words, but she remained quiet. Derek was left dissatisfied as his words rang true, judging by her reaction. She was uncomfortable with him as her partner. Why wouldn't she be? Derek was the large, intimidating new guy with an unstable history and no one ever tried to see past that.

"I w-wanted t-to say thank y-you." Her stutter was back, obviously indicating that she was nervous. But Derek quickly pushed that aside and gaped at her. _She_ wanted to thank _him_?

"Liam is-" Chloe shuddered and cast a far away glance down the hall as if she were lost in thought. Her face fell vulnerably, reflecting that it was more likely that she was lost in a horrible memory.

"Chloe," Derek said softly. She blinked and gave her head a sharp shake. Clearing her throat, she glanced up at him and said, "Thanks, I-I really don't like-" she trailed off again, uneasy about the topic.

"Chloe?" She looked at him expectantly. "You may not know me, or just met me, or whatever, but do me a favor anyways. Stay away from him. Don't _ever_ let yourself be alone when he's around. Okay?"

Her eyes had widened a considerable amount. Several emotions flitted through them before resting on understanding and she nodded firmly.

* * *

Third hour, as well as the rest of the school day, dragged on. Career and Consumer Connections ended with no real progress, or even a starting point for the student's projects, as Mr. Beck took the entire period to introduce the software the class would be using to record their experiments and findings. Software that, to Chloe's relief, Derek was familiar with.

Chloe remained silent but thoughtful and rather light. She sat oddly close to Derek at their shared computer as Mr. Beck's presentational power point flickered across the screen. Several times she leaned in close to the monitor, concentrating on whatever particularly captured her attention. None of this bothered Derek, in fact, he found it to be quite a pleasant surprise. Her aura of ease- when in seriously close proximity to his person- mystified him.

Even her goodbye caught him off guard. She gathered her things, pulled on a thin jacket that hugged her small frame, and grabbed her bag before she passed him a small, shy smile.

"Um, bye. I-I guess I'll see you tomorrow." Her expression and tone were expectant and seemed almost hopeful. Derek- feeling compelled to reply- grunted, giving her an inaudible 'yeah' and her smile grew into a moderate grin. Something squirmed in Derek's stomach as he caught the small glow in her eyes.

"Okay," she whispered and for the second time that week, Derek watched her briskly exit the library, leaving him just as perplexed as the day before.

* * *

"You're rather quiet tonight, Derek."

Derek's brows bunched together and he threw his father a weird look across the table. It was late evening and during supper, every Thursday, Derek and his family would sit down for a traditional family dinner before everyone separated to their respective weekend festivities. The table was only a few feet long and half as wide. Derek sat across from his father while Simon sat across from Tori.

Kit was watching him warily, concern even fogged his amber eyes. Tori snorted in a knowing manner as she picked at what was left of her lasagna, eager to be excused from the table to do whatever it is Toris' do. Simon chuckled lightly and nudged his dad with his elbow.

"Come on dad, Derek's always quiet. Makes him all edgy and mysterious, the girls love it."

"Yes, Simon. Everything you're not," Tori said cynically.

"Sure, Tori. But, clearly, I do pretty well on my own." Simon's returning smile was rather smug. He did just fine on his own, that's true. But, in any other instance, he would be more level headed about the fact.

"So I've always been right? You pay them?" Simon scoffed.

"I don't pay-"

"Enough, guys. Seriously, at the table?" Kit gave each of his children- teenagers- a warning glance before resting his eyes back on Derek, who had momentarily been happy for the distraction, even if it was Simon and Tori bickering. But now the attention was back on him.

"I just mean that you seem quieter than usual, almost content. Everything okay?"

"Well, if I seem so happy wouldn't that mean that everything was okay," Derek stated monotonously, beginning his dad's least favorite game.

"Does it always have to be twenty questions with you, Derek?" Mr. Bae kept his expectant stare on his son, raising his glass to his lips as he surveyed him, determined on unraveling Derek's unusual- as of late- good mood.

"Derek's only thinking about Chloe Saunders, that's all," Tori explained innocently, as if it were a normal subject to be flitting through his brain. He couldn't deny that he was- not to himself- but he still flashed Tori a scowl as their dad spit up the mouthful of water he nearly swallowed.

"Chloe Saunders? A girl?"

"I know, shocker right? Derek thinking about a girl," Tori said mockingly. She teased him with her dark eyes. Since when did Tori take pleasure in torturing Derek this way?

"Tori, when are you going to drop it? Derek and Chloe haven't even met yet, and you're convinced you already won that stupid bet," Simon stated sourly.

"What bet," their father interjected, though, no one paid him any mind.

"Haven't even- yeah right. Derek you're pretty acquainted with Chloe, aren't you?"

"Not really," Derek snapped.

"B.S. Derek, I saw you two in the library this morning, during third hour." Derek froze notably, eyes narrowing on Tori with a look that said '_Shut up!_'

"You were in the library with a girl," Derek's father asked. Again, he was painfully ignored.

"You were in the library with Chloe," Simon asked credulously. His tone almost expressed that he was slightly frustrated with this piece of knowledge. Derek wondered why he even had a right to be. Simon didn't own Chloe, not at the moment anyway.

"Yeah, we were working on our project. We have third hour class together, it's not that big of a deal."

"Since when were you and Chloe partners?" Simon was on a near- shouting level.

"Since today." Derek was re-introduced to his conversation with Simon that morning as he received a flash of Deja vu.

"Did you ask her to be your partner," Tori pressed, her brow inched up her forehead wickedly, daring Derek to confirm her wildest thoughts.

Derek didn't need this. He didn't need Tori's cognizant eyes, or his father's unfathomable gaze, or Simon's obvious displeasure. Besides, it was none of their business. So what if Chloe was his partner? There was nothing else there- Derek was convinced- for Tori to continue her relentless torture, for his father to have such a bewildered look, or for Simon to become angry with him.

"Nah, teacher had assigned groups already." With that said, Derek lifted his empty plate and glass and made his way into the kitchen, leaving his family to make whatever they wished of that comment that proved he was _anything_ but honorable.

**Don't forget, Comments, questions, concerns, critic? Leave a review!**


	7. Chapter 7 Seven Torturous Digits

**Author's Note- This chapter is a bit longer as you can see... It was harder to write as well, a bit of a filler that foreshadows several future events that I promise to pick up next chapter.**

**Also, I posted suzi1811's One-shot. It ties in pretty close to this chapter. So I suggest traveling to my profile to find it once you are done here, unless you have subscribed to me as an author, then you will get an e-mail with the direct link to the story. Please check it out and give it a chance. I'm am most definetly willing to give more of these One-shots out to those who are amazingly awesome *cough* Lauren *cough* - if you want one, of course deary. I mean, I'm sure that if you had an idea you would write it yourself ten times better.-**

**Enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

_Me? Are you sure you've got the right guy?_

**Chapter 7- Seven Torturous Digits**

Derek bounced his leg unnervingly under his desk, continuously checking the door as the class filed in during third hour. He didn't pay much attention to the others entering, besides Liam, who met his eyes with a cold glare of disapproval and hate. It was clear Derek's feelings towards him were mutually returned. But still, Derek's eyes were trained to catch something else out of the blur of other people, and when he finally caught sight of it, he realized just how pathetic he had been this Friday morning.

During his restless, early hours of sleep, he kept waking, slowly but surely, to jolt up and check the clock on his nightstand.

1:15

3:04

4:57

5:59

Finally, Derek was able to jump out of bed- relieved without reason- at 6:30 that morning and proceed with his daily routine to prepare for school. Shower- extra, unnecessary soap- dress- extra, maybe slightly justified application of deodorant- and breakfast- surprisingly less than usual.

The drive to school was agonizingly long, especially with Simon's obvious displeasure since dinner the night before. Simon, of course, covered it with a smile and his usual go-with-the-flow attitude. But there was hesitation once something was directly related towards Derek. A small disdain would surface and as hard as Simon tried to hide it, Derek could still see it.

Derek and Simon never really had this kind of tension between them before. Sure, there were the occasional disagreements about something in particular, but it was usually settled and stifled instantly by compromise.

Only, Derek doubted an insignificant truce would easily solve the growing problem between them this time. A problem Derek wasn't even aware of existing, and if it did, he wondered impatiently if someone would mind telling him what the hell it was? He didn't like arguing- or, in this case, receiving the cold shoulder treatment provided by Simon- with his brother. Simon was his best friend, his only friend. And with Simon being upset with him, Derek felt unsettled, edgy and lost.

First hour paced itself evenly. It was second hour that had Derek staring at the clock again. The idea of Simon spending an hour with Chloe, knowing all too well that Simon liked her, sent Derek's stomach back into a heated, bubbling fit. His skin crawled and his teeth clenched, eyes mentally willing time to speed up. And for a long, hard hour, Derek didn't care if Simon was mad at him.

When the bell finally sounded, Derek was out of his seat and into the hall before the pitched shrill could end. He crossed the school- book already in his procession as he had gotten it earlier that morning- making a straight beeline to his third hour class.

This lead to Derek's current predicament.

He quickly looked away from Chloe's charming smile when she caught sight of him sitting across the room. Suddenly, the tree outside the window was very interesting.

He was hyperaware of her drawing near, of her taking the seat in front of him and turning his way. He was aware of her polite greeting, in which he nodded and did anything in his power to avoid her eyes, mentally kicking himself for acting like such a loser all morning.

"Derek?" His name immediately got his attention- though, with frustrating realization, his subconscious never strayed from the girl for a second- and his eyes unwillingly snapped her way.

"Are you okay?" Worry fogged her glassy orbs. He bit his tongue, fighting back a comment that sounded something like, '_Yeah, this is the best I've felt all morning.'_

"I'm fine. Why? Do I not look fine," he snapped instead, wincing at how harsh he sounded.

"No, not really," Chloe said flatly, eyes scanning his face. What did she know, let alone about him in particular? Nothing, absolutely nothing.

"You just look distracted," she added before Derek could say anything. He closed his mouth and sighed, shoulders slumping in a sense of defeat. Chloe was quick to catch things, observant. Something Derek could add to some sort of list subjecting Chloe Saunders- if he were cataloging her that is.

"I'm fine," Derek said- softly this time- to reassure her.

Chloe seemed to believe him, letting the topic drop. She pulled her bag up to her lap, taking a few seconds to rummage through it before surfacing with a small, folded piece of paper. She met Derek's eyes again, who had been expressionlessly observing, then gave him a small smile and handed him the slip.

"What's this," Derek questioned, cautiously pulling the slip from her fingers. He pushed himself up from his reclined position, leaning over his own desk. From here their faces were only a foot apart. Her eyes held her reaction, surprised, obviously, by his sudden movement, but there wasn't any life of registered fear. A faint- very faint- hint of pink touched her cheeks and she swallowed.

"U-um, I-it's my phone number." She released a quick breath to gather her bearings and briskly continued before Derek could register what she had said.

"It kind of slipped my mind," she started, her speech fairly light and confident now as she met his gaze. "I forgot that there is an away game today for the team. Usually, for away games we have to leave the school early and take a bus so that we can get to the actual game on time. It's kind of a regular thing for the dance team. It doesn't really matter what particular season it is. So, I figured we could make up for lost time on our project after school or on the weekends."

Derek took a minute to actually look at Chloe since she had walked in the door- to _look_ at her since he met her eyes his first day- at a close distance. Her light strawberry-blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail, a blue bow loosely tied into her locks. Her skin looked brighter up close, less pale and chalky. Her light hair gave her skin tone a decent shade. A black sweatshirt hugged her upper body- it was pretty cold for early November-sporting blue and white letters that read, _Bisonette's Buffalo High __Dance Team. _Her legs were more exposed. Her short, blue and white dance skirt barely touched her mid-thigh and she modestly held her legs together, as if she were uncomfortable having to wear a skirt in the first place. Her skin had a satiny appeal, soft and tender.

"I know it's kind of pointless. The dance team should only have to perform for the home games. I mean, that's only my own personal opinion," Chloe said indifferently. Derek cleared his throat, forcing his eyes back up to hers before she could realize that he was taking his sweet time looking elsewhere. She didn't seem to notice as she was shifting through her bag again, coming out this time with a small red notebook.

"What time do you leave," Derek asked, recovering from whatever fix he had on Chloe's small figure.

"Around 10:15. That's usually when the buses arrive anyways."

"The teams share a bus?" The idea troubled Derek, and judging by Chloe's reaction, he wasn't the only one. Chloe stiffened, her frame hunched into itself and she looked away, shuddering. Derek glanced across the room, scanning briefly before he caught Liam. The blonde's eyes were glued towards them, narrowed, giving the dark blue a shady effect. Chloe winced beside Derek, goose bumps beginning to rise against her flesh.

"Chloe." Her wide, fearful eyes flashed towards his, conveying just how uncomfortable this kid made her feel. She knew he was staring at her with that hungry look in his eyes. She could _feel_ it.

"Stop fidgeting and relax. At least _try_ to not look like a cornered cat." Chloe straightened, though she still remained rigid and tense, and she scowled at him.

"Look, you don't know Liam. And you obviously don't know how pissed he is with you because of yesterday. What do you want me to do? Walk around him aimlessly and pretend he doesn't exist?"

"That's just stupid, Chloe." Her eyes narrowed, cheeks inflating slightly as she simmered. "One, you can't ever find yourself alone when that guy is around. Two, if you ever are, then pull out you're secret weapon. Catch him by surprise, then run like hell. Three, if you can't, then you need to hold your ground and look confident, like he can't intimidate you. He feeds off of stuff like that."

"Yeah, like I haven't already realized what a creeper Liam is yet. How am I supposed to act like he doesn't make me anxious, like he isn't going to- to hurt me?"

"You seem to do that just fine with me," Derek stated factually. It was true. For the second time now, while Derek was trying to give her some seemingly helpful advice, she had retaliated. Her confidence and defensive attitude towards being looked down upon raged, and she fought back.

"I just don't think you have the right to get off and tell me what to do, to intimidate me or think you have some sort of authority over me."

"Why can't you think like that with this Liam guy?"

"Because- L-Liam is d-different," Chloe said slowly, her resolve crumbling before Derek. "Ever since semester started, h-he looks at m-me like he wants t-to eat me."

"Different? You don't think that I'm a bad guy?" Derek watched her closely. Her brows bunched together with question, but all Derek wanted was a straight answer. If she could stand up to him, but can't do the same around Liam because she knew he was bad news, did that mean she wasn't afraid of him?

"No, why would I think that?" Derek held her eyes, trying his hardest to read every emotion that drifted through them. Confusion, frustration, but more importantly she expressed certainty.

"You don't know that much about me, do you, Chloe," Derek wondered aloud. Knowing what has possibly been said about him at this school, Derek found it really hard to believe that she didn't know about his accident back in Albany. But if she did, then why wasn't she frightened, like everyone else? She tilted her head to the side, her tension relaxing slowly by fractions.

"I thought we've already been over this. You've only been at this school for a week." Derek snorted, though amused by Chloe's wittiness, he silently relished as a breeze of relief brushed through him. She didn't know. It was the only explanation for her to be so oblivious, and honestly, it could stay that way.

"Right," Derek nodded, giving her the benefit of the doubt. The slip of paper between his fingers abruptly became deadweight in his hands. Even if she didn't know the truth, she still managed to be more- more comfortable around him than others. She was different, even from students who had been around him before the accident. She had given him her number. _Him._ Even if the reasoning behind the action was their project, the idea had Derek's insides twisting uncomfortably. He didn't want to release that feeling.

But, if she had given him personal access because of their project- because she would be the cause of lost time in their progress- wouldn't that mean she would do the same with her English partner as well?

"Did you give Simon your number too?" The fluttering in Derek's gut heated. Chloe shot him a quizzical look.

"Simon?"

"Isn't Simon your Shakespeare project partner?"

"Yes, but how did you-"

Derek rolled his eyes and sighed. Defensive, stubborn and witty. But, could she really be this dense?

"He told me. I mean, we share the same room; we talk about things like that. Wouldn't you think that's what brothers do?"

Chloe started, brows shooting up in surprise.

"Y-you and Simon are brothers?" Derek flopped back, leaning into his chair and crossing his arms as impatience washed over him.

"Yeah, Chloe. Identical twins," Derek said, sarcasm biting his tone. She gave him, what he believed to be, a playful scowl. The way her full, pink-pale lips pursed made his throat go dry.

"Well sorry, guess the idea never occurred to me. I mean, how the heck was I supposed to know?" Derek's brows knit together as he finally pieced together Chloe's lack of knowledge on this subject.

"Simon- he didn't tell you?" She innocently shook her head.

"That's-" Derek paused, looking for the right word. "Strange." Chloe merely shrugged.

"I never really asked. It's not the kind of thing you randomly bring into a conversation unless you've been asked, right?"

"I suppose so," Derek muttered, feeling slightly perturbed.

"Anyways, I didn't really find it necessary. The teams usually leave around third hour at the earliest. Besides, my project with Simon isn't as big as ours and its due in a couple of weeks. It won't take as much time as this budgeting project needs."

What Derek heard was, _'My project with Simon isn't as important as ours.'_

Derek opened his mouth to answer, a firm resolute agreement about to escape his lips- which were twitching upwards at the corners, forming an almost smirk of pleasure at Chloe's words- before the tone of the intercom interrupted the bustle of chit-chat in Mr. Beck's class.

"Will the Bison's and Bisonette's please report to the bus loading lot?" Derek recognized the pitched sneer of the bitchy receptionist from the front desk. She sounded like a snooty housewife, even through the school's speaker system. "Bison's and Bisonette's to the bus loading lot please."

"Hmm, I guess we're leaving earlier today," Chloe concluded, after she took note that class had only started twenty minutes before. "But, I guess that I'll see you- if not sooner- on Monday?"

Derek nodded, eyes dimming in disappointment as Chloe stood and gathered her things. There was more commotion through the classroom as other students readied themselves to leave. Chloe secured her bag over her shoulder and faced him one last time. Her lips were quaint with a small smile. She opened her mouth and-

"Come on, girl!" Chloe jumped, and her dark haired friend- who, Derek was angered to recall, had left Chloe to the sharks only a day before- bounced up beside her, roughly grabbing her arm and tugging her towards the door. "We have to get the good seats before they're gone!"

"Okay, geez Rae. U-um bye, Derek," Chloe quickly added, Rae practically dragging her to the hall.

Just before they reached the doorframe- Derek's eyes never left Chloe's flustered face- her friend, Rae, threw a glance his way over her shoulder. Her brown eyes traveled over him in a scrutinizing manner, finally meeting his hard gaze with her own. Judgment flashed through her features and she pulled Chloe closer to her stout body before exiting the classroom.

On top of that, as if Derek wasn't already annoyed enough with this occurrence, Liam strutted into his line of vision, bag in hand, sneer shooting Derek's way.

Knowing Chloe was going to have to endure Liam's sick, twisted attention for the rest of the day made the piece of paper in Derek's hands feel like a hot plate against his skin. Anxiety and anger bubbled up in his core.

Pushing Chloe's number into his pocket, Derek slumped deeper into his chair, preparing for what he knew to be a very long weekend.

* * *

By noon on Saturday, Derek was about ready to cut off his entire resolve and call the damn number that weighed down his pocket. He paced between Simon's bed and his, so close to throwing his long hours- minutes- of waiting out the window, just to know if Chloe had been okay at the game the previous night, or if she had any problems with Liam. Hell, he wanted to know if she had fun.

What he really wanted to know was if she wanted to get together over their weekend and officially start their project.

Yes, Chloe had given him her number for just that reason. But Derek refused to jump that chance so soon. He didn't want to seem so- so desperate. And as pitiful and painful as it was to admit, Derek was just that. Desperate.

If anything, Derek desperately wanted to see Chloe again.

Derek was ready to admit that Chloe was something else. She was cute, beautiful even, in her own way without trying that hard at all. She was smart and had a shy sense of humor. She was stubborn and witty. Prideful, yet painfully contradicted by her self awareness. More importantly, she stuck out of the crowd, able to be at ease around him where others couldn't.

Last, but certainly far from the least, Chloe had said herself- implied, in better words- that her time with Derek was far more important than her time with Simon.

It was because of this, because of her ability to be comfortable around him, that made Derek believe that she was something different. So yes, Derek would admit it. Chloe was different. She had reasons to be the attention of most everyone's eye at Buffalo High School. But, what Derek would refuse to accept was that Chloe was as innocent as everyone chalked her up to be. He would not admit defeat in falling for a spell that did not exist, especially with Chloe Saunders. There had to be a catch, a weakness.

Of course, Derek wasn't suggesting that Chloe was perfect. In fact, that would be the last thing he would do, even after death. Even with as little as he knew about her, he knew Chloe was as far from normal and perfect as it gets. She had her flaws, like her low self esteem and short tempered defensiveness. But, what Derek wanted so desperately to figure out was a contradiction to her innocence. Her ultimate imperfection.

So, for the following two weeks, this became Derek's mission.

On the returning Monday- after Derek had made it, with great effort, through the weekend without so much as pulling the seven tantalizing digits from his pocket- Derek fell into a morning routine that seemed to reflect his last Friday. But once in third hour, he didn't even attempt to ignore Chloe, knowing now that it wasn't going to do either of them any good.

Instead, he returned her greeting and informed her on what she had missed during the rest of their class the week before.

"We are supposed to start in a post-college/ being on our own stage," Derek started while Chloe took notes in her red notebook. "Mr. Beck wants us to consider exactly where we will be at this point in our life. For instance, I decided that I was just getting out of school, looking for an apartment considering I won't be able to have my dorm accommodations anymore. I don't plan on having to pay back loans."

"How could you be so sure about that," Chloe wondered, finally looking away from her notes. Derek could literally see the curiosity boiling over the edge in her eyes and he snorted.

"I already have this full-ride scholarship to an Ivy-league school of choice. I'm pretty set on Dartmouth for eight years." Chloe's mouth dropped and Derek raked his fingers through his hair, rubbing the back of his head uncomfortably. She tried to speak, mouth opening and closing like a gaping fish out of water. Finally she blushed and cleared her throat.

"Great, my partner is a genius. I mean, now I have to depend on you and your smug-like geniusness just to pull myself out of debt after a mere four years at an accredited school of arts."

"Smug-like geniusness?" Chloe scowled at his questioning of her intelligence. "School of arts, huh? And you think you'll find yourself in debt after college?"

"Well, sure a school of arts isn't nearly as expensive as an Ivy-league school. But I still have a year to get my financial aid in gear. Besides, my dad refuses to have me resort to loans. He's compromised. Whatever I can't pay on my own, he will."

Derek nodded slowly. "Daddy's little girl. Can't stick up for herself in the real world, so daddy's big wallet will have to come to your rescue?"

Chloe scoffed, cheeks burning instantly in anger before her eyes narrowed. She smirked.

"Sorry _sweetheart_," Oh yes, another dainty fact about this project was that Mr. Beck insisted opposite sex partners to be _actual_ partners. Married, engaged, whatever. Derek and Chloe never really finalized anything, instead they just figured each other as roommates. "That will be your job considering you'll have to pick up my slack to keep our new home. Am I right?"

Derek nodded, this time in mock defeat. He looked at her seriously now, able to see how his insult actually affected her through her eyes.

"I actually think it's very noble of you. Obviously, like you mentioned, your dad has the money to get you through college. But, I can see your set on getting through it on your own." Chloe's eyes widened a margin, taken by surprise that Derek actually understood her determination.

Unfortunately, where Derek was hoping to find a fault in Chloe, he found a strength.

"Why a school of arts," Derek asked, moving on from their previous conversation. He was notably disappointed about coming out empty handed, but curiosity got the better of him. He observed as Chloe blushed and looked away.

"Movies."

Derek learned that Chloe had a thing for Hollywood. Now, it wasn't your typical, _'when I grow up, I want to be famous,'_ fantasies. She claimed to have a passion for the action behind the scenes, behind the actors and the spotlight. She wanted to script her own adventures. Every scene, movement and emotion. And then, she wanted to make her writing come to life on the big screen.

She knew all about big-time producers and directors instead of the hottest new celebrity. She cared about the props and the scenery instead of the wardrobe and the glamor. Her dream career was to be part of that one day.

Derek could predict several things about Chloe Saunders now, but he had never expected this.

By the end of the week, they had both chosen their careers. Chloe, the next generations' hot-shot producer, and Derek, an advanced physics professor at Dartmouth. They had also determined their timeline to graduate, where Derek would be twenty-five and Chloe, twenty-four. Not to mention, they had to research a reasonable two-week income by regular paychecks.

By mid-November, Chloe and Derek were ready to begin the budgeting portion of their project. They needed to find a place to live.

Chloe was all up for Derek's suggestion to start with a small apartment. They both put in their preferences, and came out with a unanimous decision of a double room with a kitchen. There was a small argument about sharing a bathroom, including a lot of blushing on Chloe's part, and a lot of eye rolling on Derek's end, but Chloe finally wavered and agreed to one bathroom.

The cheapest apartments in Buffalo were closer to the school. In fact, there was a complex of grouped apartments in the suburban area Derek passed through each morning to get to school. But, Derek had always been too busy distracting himself from the white house in the area- all in vain, in the end- that he hadn't noticed the apartments before.

"It may look like a nice area, but it's not. The apartments are disgusting, and they're right across the street from Lyle house."

"The two-story Victorian," Derek questioned innocently, hoping to receive a little bit of background information on the creepy old house.

"Yeah, It's a private home and school for troubled teenagers," Chloe shuddered. "You would think that a place and an opportunity like that would be a good way for someone to start over, you know? But, that place- it give me the creeps."

Derek let the subject drop.

They found an apartment farther away from the school, near the outreaches of the town. The area was much more friendly and the price was reasonable. On that Friday they finalized their deposit and the dividing of the rent. They both seemed rather pleased to realize they were farther ahead than their fellow classmates. So, the remainder of the day was spent with mild chit-chat. Chloe talked more. Derek only commenting when appropriate as he listened.

They did this quite a bit in between their work and research. Aimlessly talking about nothing and everything. The weather, the students around them, and their own interests.

Derek revealed the reasoning to the scholarship achievement, having won a national science fair his junior year. He didn't go into much detail, knowing Chloe would easily be lost, by her own revelation, not his. In turn, Derek learned more about Chloe's interest in movies, which ones she liked and disliked. The ones she wanted to burn stimulated a conversation between them about horrible movie effects.

In a nutshell, those two weeks were effortless and enjoyable. Derek never felt so open around someone other than the members of his family. In fact, Chloe was possibly the only girl he has ever had a real conversation with. The only other _person_ besides Simon and his dad. Their boundaries as acquaintances seemed to slip once they found their seats in the computer lab each day during third hour.

Though Derek's mission to find Chloe's imperfection was slowly becoming an epic fail, he could see something else being accomplished during those two weeks. Something between them was connecting. As of the current time, the bond was still weak and fragile, but Derek hoped- boy did he hope- that the connection would only get stronger as the semester would progress.

Yet, Derek was sure in for a big surprise.

**I made up a word in this chapter! Can anyone guess what it was? You might win a One-shot...**

**The usual, questions, comments, concerns, critic? Leave a review please! **


	8. Chapter 8 Blunt Honesty

**Author's Note- All I can do is apologize for the late update. The usual, life work, school. But it's here!**

**Thanks readers and reviewers, you should know that you guys are keeping the Rumors alive!**

**Okay, the next couple chapters have been very, VERY, difficult to write. I'm not to sure why, I feel as if I'm losing the tone of the story or rushing, I don't know. If anything feels off guys, let me know, so I can apply it to future chapters. Though, it could just be my anxiety and paranoia running rampant due to the change in plot during this chapter. **

**To _Murrey2002_, and _bookfreak9123_, if you guys didn't get my replies, both of you are part of my list for dedications of One-shots. Review or PM me with whether or not you guys are willing to have me write for you.**

**Enjoy! (I'm sorry for the length of this chapter!)**

* * *

_Don't ever assume... it makes an ass out of you and me._

**Chapter 8- Blunt Honesty**

"Are you insane, Derek? That has to be the ugliest couch in the history of ugly couches," Chloe scoffed. Derek leaned back in his chair at their computer station, heaving a massive sigh of frustration. Sure, their past two weeks had been easy, but that wasn't to say that they still didn't share these little bickering moments.

It was now their third Monday working on their budgeting project, and a few days before they were released for their Thanksgiving weekend. They had both agreed that they didn't need to make up the two days of school they would miss because of the holiday. Mostly because they were already so far ahead of half of their fellow students.

"I don't see what the big deal is. It's just a couch, and it's cheap."

Sure, Derek would admit it wasn't exactly the most extravagant couch he has ever seen. But it was just fine all the same, roomy, in what could fit about three people, and- and maybe Chloe was just concerned about the color. The faded, out-dated, tan color.

"_Exactly_! Cheap. Our furniture has to at least look presentable and not like we just purchased it from some hippie's garage sale."

"Chloe, you're being ridiculous."

"Hey, you got your stupid single bathroom, I get to pick out the décor." Chloe gave Derek a hard look that he wasn't buying.

"We don't even need a couch. We're going to be at work most of the day, our jobs require that."

"Like hell we don't need a couch," Chloe huffed. She took her turn to lean into the computer, her knee brushed his thigh in the process. Derek swallowed when it stayed there, their body's keeping small contact.

Sharing the computer station meant the close proximity of their respective seats. Chloe didn't seem to have a problem with this, even on their first day working together. Derek didn't find it bothersome either. Yet, with each touch, whether it was a glance of their arms, or their knees, or, in some cases, their feet, Derek's body would stiffen in an act to hold the shudder that threatened to run down his spine.

Chloe, on the other hand, looked to be completely oblivious, as if the physical contact didn't exist. Maybe Derek was just extra sensitive to it because, well, because the contact was being made by _Chloe_.

Said girl was feverishly typing into the search engine, and shifting through several sites. One caught her interest and she leaned back, pointing at the screen.

"Aaron's. They have this program where you can rent furniture to own. You know, make payments every month until the cost of the product is paid."

Derek couldn't really argue. It would be just like paying their rent every month. In fact, if they set the extra money aside for the rent, budgeting it towards the houses accessories, then the idea didn't seem half bad. Not to mention that once their payments were over, they would have an extra bit of money each month to put towards something else.

"I guess that's not such a bad idea." Chloe beamed and pulled herself towards the computer again.

Her choices were actually pretty nice once she finally made them by the end of the hour. They weren't high maintenance or flashy. Just simple, comfortable, and home-like. She found a deal on a small couch- of a much more pleasing, warm green color- a lamp, a coffee table, and a small flat screen TV. All for about half their rent a month, and the price of Derek's first choice, otherwise known as _'the ugliest couch in the history of ugly couches.'_ Chloe boasted triumphantly when Derek complied.

"Chloe!" Chloe jumped, like always, at the sudden sound of her name from behind her. She really was as skittish as a cat, as Derek had come to notice from their time together. There had been several instances where he would approach her in the classroom, if she had gotten there first, and would only give a simple grunt greeting, resulting in her nearly leaping out of her seat in surprise. Derek found these moments comical, and Chloe knew he enjoyed it. It annoyed her, which made it all the more fun each time she jumped after swearing she wouldn't.

But, what Derek didn't enjoy, were the several times it had been caused by Chloe's friend, Rae.

Rae, ever since she had glared Derek down two weeks before, had a knack to swoop in at the end of class and steal Chloe away from him. Granted, it didn't happen every day, but it was pretty damn close. It was like Rae monitored their time together, and dragged Chloe away when that time became longer than necessary.

Chloe never objected, because she couldn't see it. Rae was trying to keep Chloe away from him as reasonable as possible. If they weren't working on their project- the time before or after class- then Rae would glue herself to Chloe.

Not only was Derek annoyed with this, but he found it an act of hypocrisy and irony on Rae's part. After all, Rae had been the one to open the possibility of Chloe becoming his partner. What would Rae of done if Chloe found herself stuck with Liam the rest of the semester?

Rae bounced up beside Chloe, as always, and grabbed her arm just as the bell rang.

"Hey, girl! Ready to endure Algebra?"

"Not really," Chloe said passively, looking particularly annoyed with Rae at the moment. Though Derek was feeling rather irate because of the dark-haired girl's presence, he liked the form of irritation in Chloe's eyes that developed as soon as Rae popped up.

"Yeah, I know. But buck up! I mean, at least we have the team meeting to look forward to at lunch."

"Joy," Chloe said sarcastically, Rae rolled her eyes. "Give me a second Rae, let me grab my stuff."

Rae hesitantly released her and took a step back, eyes flashing in Derek's direction briefly before looking elsewhere.

Chloe reached for their notes and stuffed them into her messenger bag. Derek stood, grabbing her jacket from the back of her chair and handed it to her- something he started doing around the first week of their project- though he didn't feel as at ease as he had a moment before.

Through his aggravation- produced by Rae's presence- Chloe's reaction towards her team meeting at lunch surfaced a thought that he had been curious about for some time now.

"Chloe, why are you even on the dance team? From what I've seen, you don't seem to enjoy it that much. Why participate in something you don't even care for?"

Chloe straightened, brows knitting together as she thought the question through. In the end she shrugged and pulled her bag over her shoulder before responding.

"It's not like being on the dance team is horrible. But, I should be lettering this year. It'll give me easier access into an art school, not to mention the scholarships I could get. Besides," Chloe started with a wry smile. "My mom had signed me up for ballet when I was six. I hated it and she knew it, but-" she hesitated, a foreign emotion rolled through her eyes, attempting to find the right way to explain her reasoning for being a member of the dance team. Only, Derek couldn't bring himself to see any other reason but the truth that was hanging in the air before the both of them.

"But, what? Little Chloe didn't have the guts to disappoint her mommy?"

Flashing baby blues locked onto Derek's gaze credulously. Her emotions were like an open book to him. Anger, disbelief, hurt. Deep down- way, way deep- Derek knew he had crossed the line, but it was his nature to be bluntly honest. And if Chloe lying to herself was her ultimate flaw, then Derek could demolish it in a second. He didn't have empathy for Chloe, nor did he understand her lame ass excuses. He held pity towards what she had resorted to.

Out of his peripheral vision, Derek saw Rae's jaw drop.

Chloe took quite a bit of time to compose herself, attempting to seal away something that was uncontrollable. But Derek held her gaze, daring her to object.

"Kinda," Chloe bit out. Her voice was a tad more calm than Derek thought possible of her, but he had her cornered. He wasn't about to let her cage the truth.

"Kinda," Derek snorted. "Face it, Chloe. You care too much about what people think of you. You hate to disappoint. You can't even quit something you obviously dislike, because you think it will, what? Hurt you're mommy's feelings? Lying to yourself is a really bad habit to fall into, Chloe. Hiding behind letters, and scholarships? I actually expected better from you." It was Chloe's turn to let her jaw drop. Something in his conscience told Derek that he was taking it to far, that he needed to stop. But he couldn't. He wanted Chloe to accept his assumption. He wanted her to tell him he was right. Because he knew he would lose all respect for her if she didn't.

Rae was the first to speak though.

"You insensitive, little-"

"Rae," Chloe interrupted, eyes never leaving Derek's. They were like that for God knows how long, both threatening for the other to say more. Unfortunately for her, Chloe was the first to break, and Derek suspected a sign of tears welling up due to the sudden glassiness of her eyes.

"Derek's right."

With that, Chloe turned on her heal, and powerwalked out of the library. Derek crossed his arms over his chest and watched her go, guilt finally kicking in and overpowering his sense of victory.

"You're a real bully, do you know that?" Rae was in front of him abruptly, finally showing the courage to stand up to him after two weeks.

"And I care, why?" She pushed her weight onto one leg and pulled her hands to her hips, glaring at him icily.

"I warned her. I told her to stop acting so naïve and to see you for what you really are-"

"Chloe and I are partners for a project. Do you honestly think that I care about what Chloe thinks of me?" _I don't, I don't, I don't,_ Derek repeated to himself.

"Maybe you should. Because it's a hell of a lot more than what I think of you, that's for sure."

"At the moment, I find that hard to believe," Derek stated with a smirk. But, on the inside he panicked. He just didn't want Chloe to be the person who lied to themselves about something so trivial. Besides, she had swallowed her pride and accepted the truth he laid out in front of her.

"You're insensitive and cruel. Even if what you said was true, you should have known better. Chloe's mom is a very sensitive subject. How dare you even-"

"What are you talking about," Derek interrupted, confused by where this argument was going. Rae snorted, her brows inching up her forehead.

"Oh, you don't even know? Well then let me tell you little secret, Souza. Just so that you can realize what a jackass you are for assuming." Derek waited, eyes narrowed in defiance, unwilling to falter to Rae's obvious triumph over him, given by the look in her eye that reflected how much disdain she held for him and how much she wanted him to suffer.

He had assumed, but he had assumed right.

So why did the sudden dryness of his throat make him believe that he didn't, that he had just made a huge mistake?

"Chloe's mom died in a drive-by when she was six. Of course, she had nothing to do with the situation. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. And evidently, so was Chloe."

**Umm, okay. So you guys know what to do. Comments, questions, concerns, thoughts, critic, and the list goes on, so leave a review with whatever you wish, please :)**


	9. Chapter 9 True Colors

**Author's Note- This chapter may include the sudden urge to stone me- please don't.**

**I was particularly thrilled by the feedback I got from chapter eight. The in depth reviews of some were very motivating and validating. So I thank you guys, I honestly appreciate every ounce of support, though, those who know me on this site know that I am notorious to be a feedback/ constructive critic whore. The only true moral I play by on this site is that if you have something to say about someones writing, do so respectfully and honestly. I accept flames, only on an honorable level. I don't take lightly to cowardice remarks against me as an author, not that it sincerely insults me, I just won't take you seriously.**

**Okay, rant over. Just felt like the need to put that out there- None of the followers to this story have done this, because each and every one of you readers and reviewers are beyond amazing! It's just a basic overview of how I feel towards what I've seen on this site as a whole. Not just to me, but towards other authors as well. We write for ourselves, privledging others with what we share- decent or not- in hopes of gaining more potential to a future in writing. At least, that's my opinion as to why this site was created. **

**Early update, because I love you guys so much! Enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

_Sometimes, things aren't always what they crack up to be…_

**Chapter 9- True Colors**

Derek lay sprawled across his bed, arms tucked behind his head as he stared at nothing in particular- the off white ceiling to his bedroom, but he didn't seem to see it. Instead he was running through a script in his mind while simultaneously debating how to approach the matter at hand.

_Chloe, I'm really sorry. I didn't know-_

_Look, what I said was out of line, but-_

_I'm sorry that I'm such an insensitive-_

_Why didn't you ever tell me about your mom? This is your fault-_

_I shouldn't have assumed that-_

Every attempt either sounded forced, too sympathetic, or just plain pathetic. Bottom line, they didn't fit him. He wasn't the kind of guy who liked to own up to his mistakes- not that anyone was willing to do so- but something like this was huge. What he had said- it would have been better if he had just slapped Chloe across the face.

Not to say that Chloe's motives to staying on the dance team were right. In fact, they weren't normal. They weren't even healthy. Chloe was ridden guilty upon her mother's death. Derek could see that. To carry on, to cope, and to feel as if she had some sort of connection with her mother, Chloe forced herself into something that didn't fit who she was at all.

Nonetheless, Derek was in the wrong. He had been too quick to jump Chloe's imperfection, afraid that he would lose whatever respect he had gained of her over the past three weeks, that he dealt Chloe the one thing she was trying to keep bottled up to herself. The horrible and inexplicable fact that her mother was gone.

At this point, Derek wouldn't be surprised if she never wanted to see his face again.

Derek sighed. He pulled his arm free from the back of his neck and shuffled through his pocket, returning with a small slip of paper.

Chloe's number.

All he had to do was punch in the digits, rush his apology before she could hang up and pray that she would be rational and fair, or even the slightest of forgiving. He couldn't stand the idea of hurting Chloe on such an emotional level like he had. It was bad enough that she had to live without a maternal figure without him throwing back at her face.

He wanted to start over. He wanted Chloe to understand- what? What exactly did he want Chloe to understand?

That she never strayed from his thoughts, not even for a second? That each time she touched him- even the lightest brush- sent his insides into hysterical fits? That he had been afraid that she wasn't everything he had gathered her to be? Sweet, smart, caring, different, and ever so innocent, let alone the fact that she didn't shy away from him.

That somewhere in his conscience- buried deep below reason and legitimacy- he wanted _something_ to come of their time together?

Considering the talk focused on Chloe, Derek could presume that she was used to the attention she was given because of her naivety. Granted, it was transparent how uncomfortable this recognition from her peers made her, how she seemed to be known to turn down several advances. Like Ramon, and that boy Ramon had mentioned on Derek's first day. Not to mention Liam. Derek could imagine others eying Chloe the way Liam did, as if Chloe were a prize, a catch, but surely not to the same degree.

Knowing Chloe's eligibility among the male population of their school caused Derek to crumple the piece of paper in his hands with burning hostility. If she could maneuver her way out of all that- reasoned by her being categorized as un-datable- than why would she even give Derek a second glance? Especially if he were to profess that he-

Did he like her?

As a partner? Absolutely, after all, she was easy to work and get along with. As a friend? Possibly. Derek could feel them connecting pretty well. He found it fairly easy to talk to her, unless distracted _by_ her.

As more?

His thoughts instantly pushed in a positive direction. There wasn't anyone else like Chloe.

But, the real question was whether or not she felt the same. Did she like him as more than a friend? Hell, did she even think of him as more than a partner? Was she only friendly enough with him because they were stuck together till the end of the semester? Did she feel bad for him?

It was clear to anyone that Derek didn't fit in. Though, against Chloe's knowledge, Derek's solitude was easily explained by his history. On top of that, Chloe was a nice enough person- Derek had come to learn that she may even be too nice for her own good- to act on pity, to sympathize for someone like Derek.

Derek wasn't ready to come to terms about his feelings towards Chloe yet. Everything just seemed so complicated, with too many questions and underlying questions. Besides, he still has yet to make sure Chloe would forgive him before going into something so intricate. What would be the point if Chloe didn't even want to speak to him again?

Inevitably, calling her to apologize was out of the question. He already knew how imbecilic he was going to sound just trying to get a simple '_sorry_' out. But calling to do something this important just seemed so cowardly and so high school. If he was going to be honest and true with Chloe, and himself, he was going to beg for mercy- in lack of more dignified words, for Derek was willing to do anything to make Chloe forgive him- to her face.

Additionally, it was only 2:30 in the morning.

With a heavy sigh, Derek rolled onto his side and closed his eyes. He lay there, dispiritedly trying to catch whatever sleep that would grace him at this point, hoping against hope that when he woke, his life would magically be less hectic.

* * *

Derek's stride was deliberately slow once making his way to his third our later that morning. He suffocated all second thoughts and urged himself to breathe evenly. Damn, all he was going to do was ask for her forgiveness, while the act seemed to play out as if he were going to ask for something much bigger. Big enough to require that he act like a nervous wreck and worry about Chloe's reaction. Even Simon gave him questioning looks that morning, and they weren't even on talking terms.

Yes, Simon was still deflated about Derek's latest progression with Chloe. Derek never mentioned getting Chloe's number- nor had he spoken of his big mouth moment from the previous day- but Simon's distance kept getting bigger and bigger, his eyes knowing and seeing something Derek couldn't.

Derek was going to have to approach him too. And soon. He did not like the separation they shared over the last couple of weeks, and it was about time to figure out what was the exact cause of it.

Derek turned into the hall that homed Mr. Beck's class. He glanced up, peaking through his drying, dark hair that was now falling into his eyes. He caught Chloe coming from the other direction, her features set as if she were deep in thought.

_Now or never._ Derek exhaled a shaky breath and pushed a little faster, planning to catch her before she entered the room and he lost his kahunas. She hadn't noticed him at all. Apparently her current trail of mind was deeper than Derek thought, judging by her high pitched yelp and skittish jump once Derek took an uncertain hold of her elbow. She quickly swiveled his way, eyes trained wide to expect someone or something else. Then they narrowed, and her lips tightened into a straight line.

"Geez, Derek. How many heart attacks are you going to try to give me?"

"We should talk," Derek blurted. He was hoping that he could count on whatever spilled out of his mouth between now and the point of Chloe's decision to accept his apology. Her face relaxed from the scrutiny it held before. She didn't smile, but she wasn't glaring at him either. She remained neutral, bottled. Derek didn't like it. He rather her to give him the stink eye instead of look so emotionless. It just wasn't Chloe.

"There's nothing to talk about." Derek rolled his eyes, gently pulling her away from the door and against a row of lockers just before the classroom. He wasn't going to allow her to be difficult. The more this attitude continued, the more Derek felt towards screwing it and ditching the rest of school before Thanksgiving break.

"Yes there is, Chloe. I-"He released her, pulling the same hand to the back of his neck where he rubbed the clammy skin uncomfortably, nervously. He wasn't good at this kind of stuff.

But what if making up with Chloe would be worth it?

"I messed up," he continued, avoiding Chloe's stale blue gaze.

"No you didn't." Derek shot her a disbelieving look, her eyes holding sincerity, like she had actually meant what she said. But how could she say that Derek hadn't messed up? How could she honestly believe that he hadn't said something as hurtful as he had? As if reading the questions in his eyes, Chloe continued.

"What happened yesterday, you were only trying to get me to see the truth. And that's what you did. I've always known of course, but I was in really hard denial about it. And let me just say, admitting your wrong, it sucks."

"Chloe, that's not what I mean. I'm talking about the assumption I made, the jump I took without even knowing about-"

"How do you know now then?" She wasn't accusing him, she was merely curious. Derek was sure she already knew the answer, but she wanted confirmation. It wasn't about catching him as much as it was about catching Rae reveal something so personal.

"Rae wanted me to feel bad about what I said. And it worked. Chloe, I didn't know about your mom and I shouldn't have said what I did. I was wrong." Chloe nodded, first by the verification that Rae had, indeed, told something Chloe liked to keep to herself. Then she nodded as if accepting his apology. Derek breathed a silent sigh of relief.

"I know that you're aware of your wrong, Chloe. You're right, I wanted you to see the truth. But I was too quick to assume anything, I was just-"

"-Afraid that I was the kind of person who was willingly living in denial_, lying_ to myself?"

"Yeah," Derek said slowly, abruptly anxious about the tone Chloe's voice suddenly took when she finished speaking for him. Her eyes held a hint of challenge, as if wanting him to continue to tread in, what now seemed like, deep water.

"What?"

"I just think you're acting a little hypocritical."

"Hypocritical," Derek scoffed. Where had this come from? What was she even talking about? Were they even on the same page anymore? She sighed with exasperation

"Never mind. Just drop it. Let's just forget this whole thing happened." She turned towards the classroom, but Derek once again grabbed her elbow, pulling her back to face him, gaze now suspicious.

"No, Chloe. Enlighten me. How am I being hypocritical? All I said was that I didn't want you lying to yourself. You're better than that."

"And there lies your contradiction, Derek."

"What contradiction?"

"Derek we need to get to class-"

"Don't give me that, Chloe. What are you talking about?"

"T-the bell I-is about to r-ring," She stuttered, her aura suddenly desperate to be out of this situation while she looked to be inwardly flustering on keeping her mouth shut.

"Chloe," Derek demanding, knowing his tone would spark her retaliation. It did. She instantly glared at him, jaw tight, chin jutting out defiantly.

"I'm saying you do the same thing," she started, stepping towards his grasp on her arm. "I can see past you're little guilt fest about the accident you had before you moved here. And yet you're preaching to me like you're better-" she stopped abruptly, eyes widening a fraction as if surprised by how much she let slip past intentions. Stunned, Derek dropped his hand to his side, gaze set on Chloe in disbelief, shock, and-

And anger. Hot, boiling anger that, for a brief second, felt so foreign and alien to him. Then it washed over him, the rage, the disappointment, the guilt, everything that had been slowly dying away over the past month. Because of what though? Chloe? Derek let her shove it all away, only to bring up the incident in Albany that Derek had all but forgot about. Yet, she didn't just bring it up again. She unburied it, and pushed the entire weight back down on his shoulders as if redirecting his personal gravity.

"I'm sorry. That came out wrong, but I-"

"How did you find out," Derek whispered. At first, it was mostly to himself. The better part of his conscience telling him to approach this calmly. His disappointment in Chloe actually knowing tugged against the anger, but it wasn't enough. The inner self hate was overpowering, and it was all Chloe's fault.

"What?"

"Did I stutter," Derek snapped, malice sliding off his tongue. Chloe flinched- the reaction tiny, but there nonetheless- but remained still, hard eyes never leaving his even as he shot a low blow against her own nervous habit. Derek scowled right back, though he struggled to keep his temper in check, the best he could do was stand stiff while he clenched and unclenched his fists at his sides."I asked you how you found out. Because you really had me going, Chloe, for a while now, I thought you were oblivious to my 'accident'"

"Well, I didn't know, but-"

"But what? Did you suddenly have the urge to start sniffing out information about me?"

"Wha-"

"Was it Rae? She sure did make her feelings and dislike towards me pretty clear yesterday. Guess she's been warning you about me for some time now too. Kind of ironic, don't you think," Derek chuckled darkly, with no sign of humor. Chloe opened her mouth again, obviously aiming to question what he was getting at, but Derek continued, wanting so desperately to release his hostile despondency in the girl that stood before him. If manipulation was her flaw, he regretted having tried so hard to discover it. Hell, he regretted having pegged Chloe to be different in the first place.

"You know, that she was really open with me about your mom, obviously something you don't like, while at the same time you're behind my back getting all the inside scoop you can handle about me, huh?

"Derek, what are you even-"

"So, want to fill me in, Chloe? What's the latest story, the juicy details?"

"It wasn't like-"

"God, I hope you got the right rumor, I'd sure hate for you to know the actual truth," Derek pressed. The release, the venting, it felt so good. But the back of his mind was nagging him to stop, to breathe, to listen. He could see why as Chloe's face fell more and more with each of his interruptions. Looking more vulnerable and confused with each passing second. But Derek didn't want to stop, he wanted her to feel bad. He hated Chloe Saunders.

"You won't even let me explain-"

"Explain what, Chloe? That you aren't the person I thought you were? You know, I thought you were different, more open-minded. Obviously I was wrong, but what's really sad is that you turned out to be part of this school's gossip trade, something I really have no respect for. You're just like everyone else, which, I guess that makes me just another idiot who couldn't see you for what you really were."

And there it was. Anything that registered anger or confusion on Chloe's face shattered. Her lips parted as she choked on the air that escaped her lungs, as if someone had punched her in the stomach. Her skin had paled to a ghostly white and tears welled in the corners of her eyes. They had never left his piercing accusatory gaze, not once faltering to his verbal attacks. But they flashed with shock and hurt.

The sound of the bell sent them both crashing back into reality. Derek, beyond angry and betrayed, took a step away from her, the heat of their proximity died away. Chloe had jumped, eyes fluttering as Derek's words stabbed deeper. That conscience pleaded for him to listen, to pick up everything that had just crumbled beneath his disdain- which mostly included Chloe- to fix the mess he had just made. But he blocked it, he pushed his rage against it, suffocating its existence.

Finally, Chloe re-focused, doubling back with that evidently kindled hurt.

"Is that what you really think of me? That I'm just some two-faced, back-stabbing-"

"Chloe," Derek growled. He loomed down on her sudden burst of confidence that wavered in the first place. She looked to fragile and emotional to fight and Derek didn't want to hear it.

"You're going to go tell Mr. Beck that you no longer want to be partners with me, that I make you uncomfortable-"

"That's not-"

"You have no choice, Chloe. Because I'm done with you."

The note of finality in Derek's voice hit home. Chloe's entire body slumped in bitter defeat, tears now overflowing the rims of her angry eyes. But, he wouldn't let that budge his final resolve. He was done.

He turned away from her, disgusted and crestfallen, thinking that making an early escape for the much anticipated Thanksgiving break sounded like a brilliant idea, and stormed out of the school.

And yet, he felt more anguished and angry than the day he had entered this horrid school nearly a month before.

**Don't hate me. But review... please? :) I'll accept anything I can take whole-heartedly and with respect.**


	10. Chapter 10 Admitting Defeat

**Author's Note- Guys, all I can say- for I am absolutely speechless at the moment- is thank you. All I can do is update early.**

**I got the most reviews for one chapter in the history of this story for chapter 9, and you guys blew me away with your kind comments- and attempts of stoning- and honest interest in my writing. So with a gratuitous heart, I give you an early chapter 10 and a promise of an update on Monday- I don't think I can update this weekend, too much work. But I am done with finals, and I can get back into my flow of spilling these chapters out. I've barely started chapter 12!**

**Also, I'm listening to my new Pandora account... Love it- not nearly as much as I love you guys though!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_How come I'm the one who looks like a jackass?_

**Chapter 10- Admitting Defeat**

Why was it so impossible for him to let this go? Derek lay across his bed, the same position as nearly twelve hours before, staring up at the ceiling as the anger died down. His mind replaying his and Chloe's latest confrontation over and over, and each time he did he was left feeling even crummier than when it had taken place. But his rage confused him. Who or what was he really mad at? Chloe or himself?

He was extremely upset with Chloe. All this time, Derek would have never pegged her to be the kind of girl who would intentionally dig up deep, personal problems about someone, and then throw it in their face. Oh, but she did give a pretty good show, crocodile tears and all. She played her part well, acting as the victim instead of the one victimizing. And that made Derek even more indignent. She was not what he thought she was at all. She used all her innocence to manipulate someone, wrap them around her finger as Tori had explained- which, there was no denial now, that this was exactly what she had done to him- and covered how unbelievably fake she was. No one would ever look at Chloe and think twice that she was capable of this. But, she sure proved Derek wrong, even if the entire situation seemed wrong altogether. Unfortunetly- to Derek's great frustrations and displeasure- he still couldn't wrap this reality around his head.

The reason he was mad at himself was because he hadn't seen it sooner. He _should_ have seen it sooner, he should believe what reality had presented him with today. He should have known better.

He shouldn't have dared to expand out of his little pack and by doing so, Derek was on the verge of losing his best and only friend on top of feeling extremely exposed and vulnerable.

Additionally, the heavy guilt had returned. For a while, Derek bid it good riddance, hoping the inevitable, that there were people out there who could see past Derek's skin. Someone who could see him and not the intimidating, unstable teen that showed on the outside.

Knowing it was his fault that some kid would never be able to walk again ate at Derek like the day it happened. He felt so big, and dangerous, and it was worse now since Derek had let someone smother those feelings, only to release them again tenfold.

He just felt so angry, his entire being vibrated with edge, and he wanted to release it. Putting Chloe in her place hadn't been enough. He needed to physically exert it. He needed to run.

Derek threw his legs over his bed and made for the door to his bedroom. He hoped for a quick escape past his dad, where Derek knew he was waiting downstairs since Derek had gotten home earlier that day. Of course his dad was puzzled, but Derek brushed it off, said he wasn't feeling well, and locked himself in his room for a good few hours. He wasn't even sure what time it was. Three? Four?

He felt caged now, stupid even for having himself held up for so long. He wanted to stretch his legs and just run. Run until he wasn't upset anymore. Ever since he was younger, Derek couldn't get enough of the outside. He loved the outdoors, and he loved to run. They freed him from everything he held back on a regular basis because of his size, his strength, and his power.

Right now, it seemed like the ultimate cure.

Derek yanked the door open, only to be greeted with Tori whose hand was halfway raised to the knob. She glanced up and smirked at him.

"Could you smell me coming?" She occasionally teased him to be as sensually sensitive as a dog. Ever since they were little she constantly brought up how stubborn and instinctual he was. It was her way of being able to see every one of his weaknesses and avoidable strengths. Only Derek wasn't in the mood for her attitude at the moment- like he ever was.

"Anyone could smell you coming from a mile away, Tori. Bitchiness leaves a really strong trail." Tori's eyes flashed with amusement and she crossed her arms, a wicked grin playing with her lips.

"A little apprehensive aren't we, Derek? That doesn't have anything to do with your little spat with Chloe this morning, now does it?" It didn't surprise Derek that much that she knew about it. She caught everything that happened between him and Chloe, and now it was getting to the point where it really pissed him off.

"You're little stalk and torture method is getting really old," Derek snarled.

"Please, I was only one of several innocent bystanders who happened to notice the tension between the two of you is all."

"Why are you really here, Tori?"

"Derek?"

Perfect. Simon just had to join the little gathering outside their bedroom, where the animosity was growing quite thick. Derek just wanted to get out of the house, to breathe for a second and think straight. Simon came up the stairs from the opposite end of the hall and found the two standing off. He ignored Tori, knowing from Derek's grim face that Tori was having her fun with him, and he looked at Derek warily.

"Missed you in fifth hour, bro. What's up?"

"I skipped, I wasn't feeling well."

"It's a good thing you're such a good liar, Derek. If I hadn't seen what had happened this morning I would have believed you," Tori smirked. Simon shot a questioning look between the two before letting his eyes rest on Derek.

"What happened this morning?"

"Nothing, I don't know what Tori is-"

"Him and Chloe were arguing this morning," Tori stated calmly, the entire time she kept her eyes on Derek. Simon's eyes snapped wide with surprise and worry.

"Tori," Derek growled, his body shook as if he were two seconds away from jumping her. "What the hell do you want from me?"

"I want you to admit you were wrong for once. I'm tired of you two throwing all my flaws at me, and now that I finally found something that big, bad Derek couldn't handle, I want that sweet validation."

"You're still on about that bet? You want me to admit I lost?"

"Oh, it was never about the bet, Derek. Didn't I just explain that? Unless of course you didn't lose, in which case you are seriously in denial. I don't know what your little fight with Chloe was about but-"

"No, Tori. You're right. I lost. I lost miserably, and I was mistaken. Just like you predicted, Chloe had me wrapped around her finger, just like everyone else," Derek said darkly. "So congratulations, this must be a real victory. How are you going to celebrate?"

"I knew you'd be a sore loser about it," Tori added with a glare.

"Sore loser," Derek laughed humorlessly. "That's an understatement." He met her quizzical eyes, taking note towards her confusion as to how this twisted into a bad move on her part.

"You knew I wouldn't be able to resist, like you have me all figured out. What you didn't know, Tori, is that Chloe isn't everything the rumors chalk her up to be. Believe me, she isn't that innocent. She's manipulating and-"

"Are we all talking about the same Chloe," Simon interjected, obviously angered. Now, whether it was brought upon by Derek's insults or the fact that Chloe wasn't who she appeared to be, Derek wasn't sure.

"Well, well, Derek. What could little, miss blue-eyed, gag queen possibly have done to make you hate her so much? Honestly, since when did you care about what other people do or think?"

"It's none of your business. Just take your little victory lap and leave, Tori," Derek snapped.

"Derek, what did Chloe do," Simon asked. His tone and features were serious, determined. Neither of them were about to let Derek bottle this up like he wanted to.

"She didn't _do_ anything. We were working on our project and we got into an argument yesterday. When I tried to make amends she claimed that I was a hypocrite, considering my accident back in Albany. That's it."

"That's it," Tori asked with a quirk of her row.

"That's what you're fight was about," Simon asked with wide, horrific eyes. Like he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"I don't see what else there is to it," Derek huffed with exacerbation, feeling forced to relive every frustrating detail. "She went behind my back, digging and clawing for information about me-

"I told her."

Both Derek and Tori's eyes snapped Simon's way, whose features were now hard but still incredulous, angered even, bringing on his abrupt confession. It took a moment for that to process with Derek, and once it did, the rage boiled over, barely hanging in Derek's control.

"She went to _you_, my brother, to talk about _me_?"

"No. She didn't," Simon snapped. "And knowing you, Derek, you pobably jumped way ahead of yourself and figured the worst this morning. Didn't you even let her explain anything?"

Derek didn't answer, Chloe's several attempts to explain flitted through his mind, each one only cut off by his own accusing interruptions.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Simon said coldly, then brushed past Derek to enter their room. Tori opened her mouth to say something, but Derek glared, quickly snapped, "Stay out of this," then slammed the door in her face. He barely heard a muffled, "Douche bag," before he turned to face Simon who was grabbing his basketball from the closet.

"You know, Derek, you're a real jackass sometimes," he stated hotly, refusing to face him.

"Why did you tell her?"

"Well, she didn't hound me for it, or manipulate me into telling her, or-"

"Why did you tell her," Derek repeated lowly, preferring to keep from Simon's bullshit and get straight to the point. Simon exhaled loudly and turned to him, arms stretched out with the basketball in his right hand, giving Derek a- possibly severely justified- glare.

"She was upset with you, bro. I asked her what was wrong second hour because she wasn't acting like herself. She said that you two had a small- and believe me, she emphasized how small it was- argument yesterday during class. She even admitted that you had been right, but I would have to be an idiot not to see how that bugged her. I figured that whatever happened, one of you had approached the other the wrong way, and- and I don't know what happened next. I felt like I had to save you some sort of grace. I didn't want Chloe to think you were a jerk all the time, so, I sort of let slip that you were crankier and a little hard around the edges lately."

Derek waited, feeling more and more like he deserved to have Simon shouting at him by the second. Simon had dropped the ball on his bed and was now raking his fingers through his hair.

"That's all I was going to say until Chloe claimed that she could imagine why you may seem unbearable. What, with people always judging you at first glance and all the rumors the other girls on her team had been spreading through their practices. I had the urge to justify you, especially with you two being partners, and I figured the truth would be better than all the seeds of doubt being planted in her head by her team. Hell, even by the rest of the school."

If Derek didn't believe that his situation with Chloe couldn't get any worse, he had been horribly mistaken. Chloe's broken expression imprinted itself in his brain and he cringed. Her struggled words that repeated his accusation, his own harsh interruptions, the entire atmosphere where any connection they had, had been sliced away by cutting words started to haunt Derek. Relentlessly so, the anger towards himself now an overpowering emotion for being such an idiot.

He should have listened. He shouldn't have jumped to the wrong conclusions.

Instead he had created a mess he wasn't even sure he could fix.

"What sucked was that once I had let an overview of the event slip, I found myself sort of trapped, because Chloe didn't even know about what had happened back in Albany in the first place," Simon added with a tone of guilt. "She didn't hear any rumors like that and judging by the look on her face once she knew, it was like something clicked, you could see the gears in her brain turning like she had figured something out."

"What did she say, once she knew," Derek asked quietly, afraid of the idea that Chloe might now fear him, especially after the performance he had given her today. But Simon only snorted.

"I even expected Chloe to ask for more details than those that I gave her, but she didn't. She only said that she wasn't going to let you get away with any of your bullshit, which I wholeheartedly agreed to. I just warned her that it may be better to wait until you were ready to tell her yourself, which I sort of figured you might-" Simon trailed off awkwardly, unfortuneltly diving into something else entirely off base.

Derek groaned, quietly so Simon wouldn't hear. Everything was such a mess, everything was so complicated, and everything was so- wrong.

The moment was so, horribly wrong. Chloe was everything Derek had thought she was and more. _More._ So much more different than anyone could even think possible of such a small, average- beyond average- girl, with big, brilliant blue eyes, and a sweet, friendly smile. She was still the Chloe Derek thought she was earlier that morning, and even as angry as he had been about their fight, he knew that. He _knew._ That's why he couldn't get over how unbelievable the whole thing was. That's why he couldn't let it go.

And now, letting it go was the last option. If he couldn't get Chloe's forgiveness this time, then, at the very least, he could make her understand that he had been wrong, that he had been the one too quick to judge, to assume, to attack on the slightest hint of distrust.

Because the idea of Chloe determined to put him in his place, after knowing the truth about him, after having a second to rekindle her thoughts- or feelings- about him and coming up with the same stubborn defensiveness to stand her ground against him, where anyone else would flee, was enough for Derek to have a very strong- unbroken, and incomprehensible- trust for the girl. This gave Derek a justifiable reason to actually like her- on levels he couldn't understand- because he didn't trust anyone outside of his family.

Derek immediatley scrambled over to his dresser, pulled open one of the drawers in a hectic search, while Simon gave him an odd look.

"What are you doing?" After getting a lot off his chest, Simon sounded more like himself, more optimistically hopeful towards the entire situation and it was exactly the kind of aura Derek needed.

He finally surfaced from a pair of jeans a crinkled slip of paper, and he hastily pulled his phone from his jeans in current use.

"What is that," Simon asked, eyes catching the piece of paper, leaning forward to get a better look.

"Chloe's number," Derek muttered, dialing the digits into his phone with unfathomable speed, all thoughts of seeming desperate gone. Because, at this point, he was just that.

"When did you-"

"Shh," Derek interjected, placing the phone against his ear, anxiously waiting through the monotonous ring before there was a click and the sound of movement.

"Hello?" Derek winced. She sounded sick, like her nose was stuffed up or her throat was dry, her tone clearly upset as well.

"Chloe?"

"Who is this?"

"Uh, Derek. Listen, I need to talk to-" The line went dead, and Derek sighed.

This was going to be harder than he thought. Especially with that _look_ that Simon was now giving him.

**I'm so excited to release the next few chapters guys! Well, the rest of the story, actually, but you get my point. Make me happy? Comments, and critic are always appreciated as you can tell! Catch you all Monday!**


	11. Chapter 11 Staunching a Wound

**Author's Note- As promised. ****How could I NOT keep it with such devoted, tremendous readers and reviewers. Especially the reviewers, some of you and you're keen eyes catch a few of the errors I seem to miss and I really appreciate that. **

**Hope you guys like it! **

* * *

_Don't think of it as an act of duty. Think of it as a community service... because that's the only lame ass excuse I've got._

**Chapter 11- Staunching a Wound**

Walking the colorfully prepped halls of Buffalo high early Monday morning was enough for Derek to finally pull out of how unbearably long and exhausting the Thanksgiving weekend had been. After five grueling days, this is what he had resorted to.

The previous Wednesday, Derek decided that Chloe really didn't want to talk to him, considering how she had hung up on him when he tried calling. He needed to catch her before third our and set things straight. It really bothered him when Chloe wasn't there.

Thursday, Derek let the day pass- oh, so very slowly- figuring Chloe was spending the day with- did she just spend Thanksgiving with her dad? After all, to Derek's knowledge, Chloe only had her father left. Or that's what he could safely assume, considering how she talked of him when she and Derek were figuring out their budgeting during the college phase of their project. Was Chloe's dad her only guardian?

In any case, Derek endured Thanksgiving with persevering glances from both his father and Simon, while Tori all but returned to her regular self since the bet was now over. It didn't matter what the situation was anymore, Derek had admitted defeat- because he had really lost, bad- and he was just waiting for Tori to claim her prize.

Friday afternoon, Derek tried calling Chloe again. Of course, as he had suspected- but truly hoped against- Chloe hadn't answered, hinting that she had figured out his number by now and had chosen to ignore it. Derek considered *69, but reasoned against it, not really wanting to freak Chloe out, or seem like a stalker. He hung up before the message machine finished its instructions.

Saturday, Derek itched to call every half an hour, but felt particularly proud of himself when he only called four times that day. By the fourth call later that night, Derek heaved a sigh into the message machine and left a message that sounded like, "Jesus Christ, Chloe. Will you pick up your damn phone?"

He had to stop himself before his rant went too far. He hoped his authoritative tone would bring out that side of Chloe that wanted to stand up to him, but she still didn't call back.

Sunday night, Derek gave one last desperate attempt, leaving a message that said, "Chloe, you can't avoid me for forever. I screwed up and I know I don't deserve to be heard out, but I'm going to give my case anyways. I'll see you tomorrow."

And now, here Derek was, making his way to his locker at 6:53 in the morning, planning to catch Chloe before school even started.

He wasn't too sure as to when Chloe got to the school, and he wasn't aware as to where her first hour class was. So he hoped that if he came early enough, he could snatch Chloe up once she reached her locker between seven and the time class started at 7:30. He wasn't going to let her escape; he wasn't going to let her walk away from everything they had been through the past month.

Keeping himself from gaining cold feet, Derek turned into the hall that held his locker- which was a couple away from Chloe's- and was greeted with a sight that, one, he hadn't expected, two, scared the shit out of him, and three, sent a possessive rage vibrating through his entire being.

"Tell me cutie, what brings you to school so early in the morning?"

"I-I, u-um I-"

Down the hall, placed against Chloe's locker was Chloe herself. Her back pressed against the metal door as much as physically possible, blue eyes wide with horror, skin pale with a light hint of Goosebumps that Derek was sure to be there upon a closer look.

What scared him was the sick, twisted animal that pinned her there, hands placed against the wall of lockers on either side of her head, caging her from any escape, leaning so dangerously close it made Derek's insides boil with hostility.

Liam.

Though Derek had seen a couple other students in the cafeteria, and faculty entering and exiting the teachers' lounge, the hall was completely deserted, leaving Derek in a state of wonder as to why these two were here in the first place.

But, in retrospect, that little tidbit of information didn't matter, especially with Liam reaching to touch Chloe's face. Because they were here and the reality wasn't good. At all.

"It's not often that I get to catch you alone, Chloe. We have some time before school starts. What do you say; want to have a little fun?"

"No, L-Liam," Chloe said with surprising authority. She shoved against his left arm, obviously attempting to break past him. Liam merely doubled back, firmly grasping her shoulder and shoving her roughly back against the locker, causing Chloe to wince and squeak in fear, looking more and more like the cornered cat Derek had told her _not_ to look like. Liam's eyes sparked with apparent hunger, and an evil smirk danced across his lips.

"Come on, Chlo. Don't be like that. Think about it. We don't have your little team or that brute of a boyfriend of yours to interrupt us. I promise we'll have a good time."

Chloe's breath hitched and by the time Derek reached them, having briskly taken the hall as soon as he caught them, he was able to reach out and take hold of Liam's free wrist, which was seconds away from claiming the back of Chloe's neck.

Both of them snapped their eyes in his direction, Chloe's still wide before finally melting in relief. Whether it was to actually see him, or because she was saved from Liam's evident assault was beyond Derek. He still grabbed for her wrist, pulling her from Liam's grasp. He tugged her behind him before he released Liam, shoving him back a few feet to create a distance between him and Chloe. Liam's blue eyes were narrowed slits after finding his bearings from staggering quite a bit.

He straightened, facing Derek head on; eyes alight with dangerous ferocity and want.

To tell the truth, Derek surprised himself; having separated them so calmly- though on the inside he was fighting for every ounce of control he could muster- compared to what had happened in Albany. Reason being, he didn't want to repeat that accident and he didn't want to scare Chloe.

Said girl stood fairly close to his back, fingers of her free hand lightly clenching the back of his short-sleeved shirt as she peaked around him to survey what was happening. Her other hand was occupied by Derek holding tightly to her wrist, afraid that if he let her go, there would be a chance that Liam could- he just didn't let her go.

"How many times are you going to get in my way, Derek," Liam asked, a sickening, taunting grin spreading in a way that sent shivers down Derek's spine.

"Until you leave her alone. You _will_ leave her alone," Derek threatened darkly, glaring Liam down with as much animosity as he dared to release.

"Yeah, I don't think I can do that. I told you already, Derek. She's got everything going for me."

Chloe's breathing staggered unevenly and she shuddered. Derek lowered his grasp, taking her tiny hand in his and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"The only way you're getting to her from now on is through me. And you and I both know that this isn't the time or place for anything hasty."

"You're right. Wouldn't want you to get caught starting more fights, huh," Liam teased and Derek tensed. He held his ground, trying extremely hard not to falter to Liam's knowledge that, if something were to break out between the two of them, Derek would possibly be arrested this time.

After God knows how long of a stare off they faced, Liam finally shifted his weight and chuckled menacingly.

"You better keep a good eye on her, Souza. She's quite the catch," Liam threatened, then turned on his heel and crossed the hall, making his way towards the cafeteria.

It wasn't until he was completely out of sight that Derek relaxed, where as Chloe released a shuddering breath behind him, bringing up Derek's frustration that was now directed towards her. She squeaked when he pulled her in front of him, releasing her hand, only to cross his arms to keep from hitting something. He glared at her as if she were a puppy who had just pissed all over the drapes. Her eyes flitted from her initial surprise to apathy and defiance.

"I thought you promised me you would stay away from him," Derek accused, vaguely aware that he was starting another argument before they had made up from their last. Chloe blanched before taking a hearty step his way, determined to get right in his face no matter the difference in their height and stature.

"Why the hell should I have promised you anything, Derek? You can't even stand me. Besides, how was I supposed to know that Liam stalked the halls before school?"

Derek wasn't ready to touch any of that. For one thing, she had a point. How was she supposed to know? Another thing, she was only partially right on the hint that he couldn't stand her, because half the time, it surprised him how much he could bear of this girl. But she had agreed to not find herself alone with him, and the fact that it happened disconcerted him. He wasn't about to let this go.

"I'm serious, Chloe. What if I hadn't shown up? What would you have done?" Chloe shrugged, transparently trying to seem indifferent by the way her eyes shifted away from him.

"Scream, spit in his face, kick him in the crotch. That's about all the self defense I know."

"Chloe," Derek growled.

"Look, I didn't know he was going to be here alright? It's not like I went looking for him in spite of you," Chloe snapped. Derek sighed. He knew she would never, in her right mind, go purposefully looking for trouble, let alone Liam.

"What are you doing here so early anyways," Derek asked, deciding to let his anger simmer until distractions rendered it miniscule. Chloe was safe now, and that was all that mattered at this point.

"Considering it's partially your business, I was here to talk to Mr. Beck about dropping our project and starting with someone else," Chloe said coldly, causing Derek to start in realization. He had all but forgotten Chloe's current dislike of him- by means of their last farce that is. But he felt oddly relieved that Chloe hadn't dropped him as a partner sooner. Like he had ordered her to.

"Why?" Chloe snorted.

"Because you said I didn't have a choice. Besides, I rather work with someone who can tolerate me, someone who actually likes me."

"Chloe," Derek sighed with a role of his eyes.

"Don't," Chloe interjected before he could speak. "After everything you said to me-"

"Simon told me," Derek put in, feeling as if it was an important attribute to this conversation.

"Oh, well good thing you listen to Simon."

"Simon's my brother," Derek added innocently. Of course he was going to listen to him.

"And because I'm just your partner you really think that you could just apologize and think I would take it lightly?"

"Oh, I knew you wouldn't take it lightly." Derek smirked, making Chloe scowl deeper.

"Yes, Derek. Because I don't take lightly to being insulted, degraded, and hurt, only to have the one doing so blow up my phone all weekend, and halfass an apology, thinking that what had happened would just be forgiven, or forgotten. I won't just let you come up to me, tail between your legs, ask for my forgiveness, then turn around and do it again just because you know you can."

"Chloe, I'm not going to make this mistake again. I-" How Derek wished he were talking to Simon or his dad. If Derek messed up, he did just as Chloe suggested. Tail between his legs, puppy dog eyes and all. They eventually gave in, because they could understand how Derek could be sometimes. But Chloe didn't know him _that_ well yet, and she wasn't putting up with it.

Derek had insulted and emotionally hurt her twice, and he knew for a fact that he was not going to again. Now, he couldn't promise that he wouldn't be difficult, or vice versa. Especially with her current predicament with Liam. She just had to give it a chance; a chance to understand where he was coming from. And it was now or never.

"I had a hard time trusting you, and believe me; I don't trust that many people. I got paranoid, okay? I screwed up, and I can't guarantee that I won't do that again. But I can promise that it won't be like this."

Derek knew he could do so much better than what he was giving right now, and if it came down to it, Derek would do anything for Chloe to forgive him. He didn't like it; her upset with him. And though this feeling was entirely new and frightening in itself, Derek was willing to fight for it.

It wasn't a question of whether Chloe was worth it anymore. She was worth it. It just took him this long and this much trouble to figure it out.

She shifted her weight, eyes surveying him intently until Derek felt self conscious. What was she thinking? Was she debating?

Time ticked by way to slowly for Derek's patience.

"You do realize I'm not going to leave you alone about this," Derek added with a frown. Chloe's brows bunched together in slight question.

"What does that mean? You're going to stalk me until I forgive you?"

"Well, stalk isn't the word I would use. But, with Liam-"

"Are you kidding me?" Chloe's eyes widened with incredulousness, leaving Derek slightly perplexed as to how slow she could be.

"Did you think I was bluffing when I told Liam he had to get through me to get to you? I was being serious, Chloe. Liam's not going to hesitate if there is a break between us."

"So, what? Are you going to make yourself my own personal body guard or something," Chloe asked with a hint of scrutiny. Did he really have to spell this out to her?

"I believe that was in the job description once I became your partner for this project. What just happened with Liam was me signing the contract," Derek huffed.

"I don't need you to take care of me, Derek. I'm a big girl and-"

"And if it were any other situation aside from Liam, Chloe, than I believe you could watch out for yourself. But Liam is dangerous. In case it didn't register through your head today, he will hurt you." The fact angered Derek all over again. He curled his fingers into fists at his sides, looming over Chloe with eyes that screamed for her to get that.

At first, Derek could see- clear as day- that she did. Her eyes flashed with acknowledgment as to what could have happened today. Derek could literally see the gears turning, as if she had a film strip playing through her head, turning ideas, running through possibilities. She shuddered and cast her gaze away, looking at anything but him.

"This isn't something you can stubbornly overlook, Chloe. You just can't." She took in a deep, shuddering breath. One that informed Derek of how strong she was trying to be. She still wouldn't look at him, like she knew that if she did, she might break or slip from a facade that was seemingly meaningless. This wasn't normal for Chloe; having someone target her was unsettling and scary. In truth, Derek hadn't really thought about it this way. Not to mention everything he had contributed to her chaotic lifestyle this past month. This whole semester must have her emotionally exhausted.

"Chloe."

She finally looked at him, that breaking point evident in her blue orbs. There was almost a pleading look about her features. A look that confused Derek as to what she wanted of him, and what he wanted of her.

"Are you okay?"

She kept his gaze as he did with hers until her eyes finally held some sort of certainty. After a few more deep breathes she nodded.

"Yes. I'm okay. But, Derek I-"She looked around exasperatedly now, leaving Derek slightly muddled by her sudden change in mood. "I don't expect you to- I mean- you can't keep a promise like that."

"Like what?"

"You can't always be there to protect me from Liam and others like him. You know, between classes, away games. Besides, I _should_ be able to depend on myself instead of burdening someone else. I-"

"Chloe," Derek interrupted before she could continue off of her very forceful rant. "I'm not going to let him hurt you," he stated sincerely, softly. She opened her mouth then closed it. For once she remained speechless. She didn't like the idea, but she couldn't argue. She sure did try her damn best though.

"Why are you being so difficult about this? It's not like you can just hop the bus for every away game, Derek." He shrugged, tossing that enticing idea through his thoughts.

"If only there was a way that I could," Derek mumbled, mostly to himself, but loud enough that Chloe heard. She shifted her weight and crossed her arms, snorting and tossing a smirk his way.

"Yeah, Derek. What are you going to do? Join the team? No offense, but you don't particularly fit the Guido, jock picture. I mean, sure, at first glance, but now that I know you a little better, I'd say you'd loath half the guys on the team. All bronze, no brains." Her joking banter sparked a thought that hadn't occurred to Derek since moving here. It was seamless, almost coincidental, and tremendously beneficial. Derek returned Chloe's smirk, earning him a quirk of her slender blonde brow.

"I could do something like that. Joining the team doesn't sound like a bad idea."

"Haha, you're hilarious, Derek. You can't be serious."

"I'm serious," Derek inserted innocently enough before lightly grabbing her elbow and turning her towards the cafeteria and the other side of the school. Her look was now quizzical and perplexed, even minorly shocked.

"We have about twenty-five minutes before first hour starts. I need you to help me find the football coach." Chloe started, sputtering incoherently before spitting out, "You're impossible, you know that?"

The corners of Derek's lips twitched upwards as he led her down the hall. He couldn't deny that her act of fuming and pouting were sort of... cute? She had to be as ferocious as a deranged kitten- to her misfortune and his own if Chloe's immediate safety were in question- but he felt an aura of relieve wash over him knowing she was less upset with him compared to a mere five minutes ago.

"I've been told. For the record, I'm taking your insults as forgiveness."

Chloe threw him a sideways glare that had his frame vibrating in silent chuckles. So he was close, and she was safe. Hopefully, with his plan, she would be safe for good and, for now, he couldn't ask for more.

**OhMyGod, finally! This took so long to write. Comments, concerns, critic? You guys know what to do! Review :)**


	12. Chapter 12 A Shift in Tide

**Authors Note- An early update, because you guys deserve it. I LOVED writing this chapter; it came out like word- type- vomit, which makes me extremely happy and motivated to keep going. Chapter 13 is a huge mess right now, I'm trying my best to clean it up then I can get it out here as soon as that happens!**

**Thank you followers and reviewers, you guys are the reason for this update!**

**To answer a couple questions; this story is rated M for language, possible citrus, and young-ish adult content I do not want to reveal yet. But at the same time, I don't want to tease. There will be **_**no**_** Chlerek lemon. I may possibly attempt one in the future as part of the RtbT One-shot series, but it will not be in here. I apologize if I got anyone's hopes up, I honestly can't stand Chlerek lemons at this point in their lives. But I will try for one in their future- no promises.**

**-If it is necessary to change the rating in the future, I will. For now, I will keep it as is.**

**Second- Derek is not necessarily joining the football team. ) ****You will see!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_Emotions can be logically deduced... Hormones bring about emotions that can't._

**Chapter 12- A Shift in Tide**

"Your necklace is new," Derek stated quietly, desperately trying to relieve a bit of the awkward silence that Chloe and himself had lapsed into while she lead him to the gym. It was a factual observation. He had never seen her wearing the red, oval pendant before. It was small, hooked by a long gold chain, bouncing tenderly against her chest.

Chloe started abruptly at the sound of his voice, apparently being interrupted from a deep thought. She subconsciously touched the amulet, gingerly running her fingers across it with a faraway look in her eyes.

"Not really. I-I usually keep it in my pocket. I'm afraid of losing or breaking it."

"Family heirloom?" Derek didn't mean to pry- or look too obvious doing so- but he had been absurdly curious about Chloe's personal life since learning about her mother's death. What kind of a family did Chloe have? A supporting father? A step mom, maybe? A brother or a sister?

His question triggered something, Chloe's eyes and frown melting into a sad smile. She swallowed.

"My mom gave it to me."

Derek opened his mouth to respond once she trailed off, but paused, words he never really expressed before ready to slip his lips. He _was_ sorry. In fact, he felt undying sympathy for Chloe. But, if his sympathy was something that she wanted, she would have told him sooner, if at all. In addition, how many times had she been dealt that line, 'I'm so sorry, that must be awful?' It wasn't enough, because Chloe deserved more than that. It wasn't enough, because it didn't show that he really cared, or personally understood.

"I bet she's proud of you," was all he managed to blurt out, feeling rather stupid in the process. To his surprise, she hummed a gentle laugh, still keeping her gaze from his.

"That's what my dad says-" A pause as a thoughtful look flashes through her baby blues'. "He doesn't talk about mom that much. But, whenever he catches me wearing her necklace, he says that I look just like her and that she would be very proud of me," she finishes with a disbelieving laugh, a wry and wary smile.

"You don't think so," Derek asked, watching her thoughtfully, possibly witnessing Chloe's most deep, vulnerable state while he acquainted himself with Chloe's personal side, just a little bit more. She finally looked up at him then, a small smile masking the pain he could read through her eyes like an open book.

"She was really beautiful, from what I remember."

_And you're not_, Derek wondered to himself.

"Dad, he doesn't keep pictures of my mom around the house. It's like, when he's home, it's bad enough that there is a replica of her living around him. I'll try to catch him early in the morning, before he goes on a business trip, and it always surprises him, like he's seeing her ghost. Then he says that, and he's gone for another four weeks." Chloe choked up on her words at the end. The sound was something akin to a sob. She let her blonde locks fall like curtains over her face while she attempted to inconspicuously wipe at her eyes.

Derek stopped walking, cautiously taking a gently hold of her arm- he decided better against it, and held firmly to her sleeve instead- making her turn to face him. Her body cooperated, but she kept her head inclined to the side, hiding her features and threatening tears.

"Chloe," Derek whispered softly, willing her to look at him. When she still didn't Derek resorted to resting his finger beneath her chin, now forcing her to face him. He was greeted with exactly what he was afraid to see, Chloe's glassy eyes and heated cheeks.

What kind of family did Chloe have? A broken one. A missing matriarch and a father whose coping skills were to distance himself from the one thing that reminded him of what he's lost. Even if it was his own daughter. And it was evident that Chloe felt guilty. Ungrateful towards her mother- having disliked something her mother wanted her to participate in- just before her misfortunate and terrible passing, and guilty- horribly guilty- for torturing her father with something that was clearly his own problem.

Knowing this- Derek hated it. He hated that Chloe felt so burdened, at fault, and alone, hardly backed up by someone she could barely call her friend, topping off with a sick bastard being particularly infatuated with her hot temper, yet contradicting innocent nature.

"Chloe, it has nothing to do with you. It's not your fault, okay?"

Her lips twitched in a fake smile, a lame attempt of reassurance or change of subject. She averted her eyes, looking for something, anything.

"I-I know, I'm being silly-"

"No, Chloe. What happened to your mother; it wasn't your fault. And what your dad is going through has nothing to do with you either."

"I know, I just- sometimes I-"

"Don't. There is no reason you should ever doubt yourself for something that has happened in the past. Right now, your dad is lucky to have you, and your mom should be proud. It's okay."

Derek was a very factual and logical individual, never really putting emotions into observations. He never had advice for his brother, who may have been going through a horrible break up, where all Derek could tell him was that girls were all the same. He could never comfort Tori- even if he wanted to- who may be having a particularly vulnerable moment of resentment towards her mother, where Derek could only nod his head and listen to her complaints about the bitch. That did not happen often, the occasion was rare, and Tori didn't even dare show her weakness in front of Simon. Derek couldn't even muster up the balls to confide in his father as to his reoccurring guilt of losing him his job. He never once asked for forgiveness from any of them since the accident. How could he, when he was still unable to forgive himself?

But with Chloe, the norm was hardly existent and everything was so different, so new. There was a level of understanding that Derek held towards Chloe without her even aware of it. He had advice to give to her, because he knew what it felt like. The guilt, the pain. Not with his accident, but his past, something he could hardly remember. And, actually considering his screw up back in Albany, a voice inside Derek's head told him he should be following his own advice, that the past was the past. Unfortunately, that was a different story.

Chloe could see right through him, this was evident by the hint of defiance in her watery eyes. But, surprisingly, as if resolving something in her head in a manner that pushed current situations away for later, her eyes melted and she nodded, taking fully to Derek's words, because she could see how sincere he was.

For a second, they looked at each other, Derek's green eyes holding hers, both confirming that she felt better. Chloe knew it wasn't her fault. Derek could see that. She was mature enough- possibly a tad more mature for her age, being so open-minded and free spoken- to understand and accept where her father was coming from. Her moment, it was a small break in everything she seemed to build and understand over the past ten years, and it must have been surfaced by Derek's shifting moods that particularly hovered over her.

He truly felt bad, for having brought up old conflict that she must have worked so hard to overcome. All he could hope for was that Chloe could see that in him. For a brief moment, something registered through Chloe's eyes, acknowledging that she could see how sorry he was. For pushing the reality onto her, and for her loss as well.

And suddenly, as close as they were standing, silently speaking with gazes, it wasn't close enough. Derek hesitantly stepped closer, the movement miniscule, fingers dropping from her chin, slightly glazing across her neck and collar bone in the process, causing Chloe to swallow roughly before his hand fell to his side. He released her sleeve, fingertips barely touching the slightly ashy skin of her elbow, a reaction of Goosebumps being raised under the pads of his own skin.

Chloe's lips parted, brows twitching slightly in concentration, blue- God, so blue- eyes locked onto his with contemplation and curiosity. Derek's mind began to haze, logic and reason- his two most trustful facets- escaped him. Feeling mesmerized by the heat Chloe's body gave off and her clouding expression, Derek stepped even closer, brushing his fingers down the length of her arm, causing Chloe's eyes to fog even more and-

She blinked. Once, twice, three times before exhaling sharply and focusing on him. Her cheeks- already pink from being upset a moment ago- darkened several shades, and she stumbled back a few steps, taking her warmth with her. The release of trance left Derek frozen in place, slowly coming back to reality where he realized what he had almost done. What he had _wanted_ to do.

"U-um," Chloe stammered, quickly looking away from him, eyes flashing down the hall. "T-the gym, i-it's um-" Chloe swallowed again, pulling a strand of her hair behind her ear nervously as she blushed deeper. She gathered her bearings. "It's at t-the end of the hall," Chloe explained, seeming to forget that Derek was perfectly aware as to where it was, having been stuck there through the school's heinous pep rally. "We should get you in there t-to talk to Coach Carson b-before class starts."

Derek hesitated, watching her, taking in what had just happened- almost happened- finding it incomprehensible. His geniusness- as Chloe would put it- was not pulling through for him, and he felt himself becoming flustered by confusion and- and slight rejection.

Chloe had been the one to pull away.

"D-Derek?"

The sound of his name snapped him out of his cluttered head. He focused on her, seeing a flash of guilt in her eyes where confusion also lingered. She looked as conflicted as he felt.

Why did Chloe have to be so damn complicated?

Derek took a deep breath, desperately- failing miserably- trying to clear his head.

"Yeah, lead the way."

* * *

Derek knocked on the door beneath a plaque that read, _Coach Carson_. He was too particularly caught up with his near- near _something_ with Chloe, who stood a few feet behind him in the large, blue and white themed gym, to contemplate on why the name felt so familiar. The coach's office was an add-on in the gym next to the guys' locker room. The gym was deserted, the complete opposite of Derek's first experience in the hollow hall, giving each and every one of Chloe's shifts and movements extra attention, echoing off the walls, driving Derek insane.

He rather endure another devil's parade.

The knob of the door clicked and it swung open, greeting Derek with his second unexpected surprise of that morning.

"Andrew?"

Sturdy, broad shouldered, cropped brown hair and dark eyed, Andrew Carson stood before Derek, slamming him with memories of campfires and old jokes as his eyes widened with recognition.

Andrew blinked a couple times, second guessing himself as he took Derek in. And there was a lot to take in.

"Derek? Is that you?"

"Yeah," Derek breathed out in disbelief. The man looked a bit older than Derek remembered, forehead wrinkling a little as his brows inched up in surprise.

"Wow, you've really- well you've grown up quite a bit haven't you? God, I mean, I remember you being pretty big when you were, what, twelve? It's been about five years, right?"

"Yeah," Derek said again, not exactly sure what to say at the moment.

"You guys already know each other," Chloe asked, closer than Derek remembered, finding that he liked how her arm brushed against his as she approached. She didn't back away and Derek took notice that her blush was touching her cheek again.

"Hello, Chloe," Andrew greeted her with a smile that Chloe returned. He continued, giving Derek an old smile that fit the man so well, yet, lingering deep in his eyes, something was off. Something Derek could barely recognize from their history.

"Yeah, well, Derek's dad and I were pretty close friends for a while. I lived just outside of Syracuse at the time, and Kit would always bring Derek and Simon over for a good, old fashioned camp out. Then Kit's job required him to move and Tori was also added to the picture. So it's been a really long time."

"When did you move here," Derek asked curiously.

"Well, the book I was working on didn't go too well through publishing. The school had an opening a few years back, around the time I became your creative writing teacher, right, Chloe?" Chloe nodded in agreement.

"Guess becoming the football coach was a perk huh?" Sure, Andrew had tossed the ball around with him, Simon and their dad a few years back, but he never really figured it was in his forte. Andrew merely shrugged.

"The administration was desperate. And between you and me, I get a lot of help from the assistant coaches. So, what brings you here?"

"Well, uh, we just moved here over a month ago-"

"No, no," Andrew chuckled. "I'm sure I can get a hold of your dad and we can catch up. I mean, what brings you two to my office before class."

Chloe looked up at Derek expectantly, also seemingly curious as to their business there as Derek hadn't told her yet. Derek cleared his throat. Even though he felt like knowing Andrew should give him an advantage towards his goal, he still couldn't help but doubt whether he would comply or not.

"I need some community service hours. I was wondering if there was something I could do for the team."

Andrew's smile faded, that _look_ surfacing a little more. It was almost wary, cautious. It had always been like that, even when Derek was younger.

"You're into football," Andrew tested with a slight lift of his brow.

"Nah, dad just thinks I should do something that gets me out of the house a little more." Not a total lie. Derek wasn't willing to actually becoming a player on the team, but he wasn't about to spill his true intentions for such a favor. The hours were nearly nonexistent. Derek was on warning, not probation, considering the circumstances of the accident and the fact that his dad was a kick ass lawyer.

Andrew crossed his arms over his chest, truly debating Derek's request. Derek tried his best for a smile, even a small one, one that might bring back some sort of sentimental value in Andrew's memories. He hadn't been a bad kid, but Andrew always had this careful aura around him.

"Tell you what," Andrew finally spoke, rubbing his hand against his scruffy jaw. "The guys have been pestering me to update their rosters; personal goals, records and such, and I haven't been able to get to it on top of grading essays for my class. The other coaches aren't helping too much, and they really need to get done. All you have to do is attend the games, record achievements for the players, and I'll fill your hours at the end of the season."

Derek shrugged, quietly relishing in a relieving victory. His plan worked, a little too easy, but he would take it.

"Sounds like a deal," Derek said.

"Right," Andrew nodded slowly, still eyeing him, then firmly. "Right, well I want to talk to your father first, he can give me the okay instead of going through all the paper work, and you should be good to go by the game against Syracuse on Thursday."

"I'll be sure to have him give you a call. I'd be willing to bet he'd be pretty happy to hear from you."

"Hmm?" Andrew bunched his brows for a second, as if he lost his focus for a moment. "Oh, sure, sure, we'll definitely have to catch up. Send Simon by sometime, I'd like to see how big that chatter box has gotten too."

Chloe giggled at the comment. The sound in itself- for Derek hadn't heard it before- caused an eruption of flutters through Derek's chest. But, having it be related to Simon, the flutters mangled themselves and fell to the pit of his stomach. All that boiling hostility, Derek literally felt like he was about to combust and turn a hideous shade of green.

He was jealous. He's _been_ jealous.

The bell sounded, surprising Derek, and if Chloe had been paying close attention, she would have teased him for jumping. He flexed his fingers, stiff from forming tight fists after letting that ugly emotion wash through him.

Derek and Chloe gave brief good bye's, where Derek's included a quick 'thank you,' and Chloe's a 'see you fifth hour.' Once they were out of the gym, entering the abruptly crowded hall, Chloe turned on him, giving him a wry smile.

"You really are impossible." Derek snorted, not completely over the slight jealousy, but content to have everything okay between them. For the most part.

"I hope you know, you're sleeping on the couch," Chloe added in a teasing manner, catching Derek off guard. Her smile was mocking. "I guess it's a good thing I picked out such a great couch, right?"

Finally, realization clicked and Derek chuckled lightly. The couch they got for the apartment they shared in third hour. So she was keeping him as a partner? Definitely a good sign.

"I guess I deserve that."

"You _deserve_ the ugliest couch in the history of ugly couches, but I'm feeling merciful. I'll see you third hour."

**Well? Do you guys know how hard it was to even attempt topping last chapter? Apparently- according to my amazing reviewers- last chapter was the best one yet! Now I'm determined to make each one better than the last. So how did I do? Comments and critic are appreciated of course. :) You guys know that.**


	13. Chapter 13 Two Steps Back

**Author's Note- ****First~ I have a plethora of excuses for the delayed update.**

**-School**

**-Work**

**-Life (I need to go shopping!)**

**-Also I fell behind in writing this chapter- updating with what I already had written ahead of time and destroying my technique to keep ahead of the game- so I needed to catch up. Also, I'm left feeling only half way satisfied with this chapter. I like it, but at the same time, it didn't come out how I wanted it to. :/**

**But I promised I wouldn't take longer than a week in updates, so this is me keeping that promise. **

**Second~ I was also hooked on reading other DP fictions this weekend- depriving me of decent sleep- and I felt obligated to leave comments- hoping karma grants me with the critic I would love to receive in return. I don't want to preach something I can't follow through myself.**

**So if anyone has any fics they would like me to read, go ahead and PM me. :)**

**Now onto the chapter!**

* * *

_Buses are crowded, dirty and... now my favorable means of transportation._

**Chapter 13- One Step Forward- Two Steps Back**

The reaction to Derek's candid, casual announcement of participating in the school's football games was taken several different ways by his family, yet all easily predictable.

Kit gave the okay for Derek's 'community service' Tuesday night, not all that fooled but highly perplexed by Derek's actions, possibly hoping it was a good step forward. He didn't question, but Derek knew it was coming, and, to Derek's curiosity, he didn't stay on the phone that long with Andrew. Kit was pleasantly surprised, but the vibe between them was different from what Derek could remember.

Tori was strutting the house with a knowing smirk, where Derek rolled his eyes in reaction and did his best to avoid her. Much easier than avoiding a certain blonde, that was for sure.

Simon, on the other hand- well there wasn't much change there. He only became seemingly more restless, and Derek thought it had something to do with his and Chloe's project coming to an end by the following Friday. Sometimes, especially after hearing about Derek's decisions to participate at the games, Derek caught Simon watching him, surveying him; looking for something he couldn't place or refused to.

Simon's behavior was starting to get petty and childish, and Derek was sick of it. Derek could say with certainty that Simon was hell bent with the amount of time Derek spent with Chloe, and now there was an addition of Derek going to every game with- for- her. Frankly, Simon could sulk all he wanted though it was seemingly pointless. Derek honestly didn't see what Simon had to worry about, for Chloe had been spending a discouraging amount of time with Simon that entire week anyways.

He _convinced_ himself that it was simply time to get through the end of their project. But he couldn't help but doubt that assumption- where he has made misjudgments before- when he saw the two of them in the hall or at lunch, Chloe smiling like she had won the lottery when Simon playfully touching her, or moved a strand of hair from her face, only to tuck it behind her ear. Catching these moments, Derek wanted so badly to hit something, jealousy becoming his only ally.

It was like Monday morning hadn't happened. As if Chloe didn't remember how he had saved her from Liam, or how she confided to him about her life outside of school, revealing something really deep and personal, or what had _almost_ happened when they-

What if she was trying to forget?

What if what happened had been too much?

What if he had been too forward, misreading everything?

By third hour Thursday, Derek was overflowing with questions of doubt. He sat in a desk against the far wall, staring absently through the window, the withered tree reminding him of his slow withdrawal from Chloe over the past couple of days. He wasn't about to set himself up for rejection.

Chloe, of course, was too nice. She wouldn't play some lame line like, 'I like you, just not that way.' It wasn't like she was leading him on either. She acted the same around him as she had their first few weeks together. But maybe she planned to be with Simon and once that happened, maybe she hoped it would be a good enough message to Derek.

Her being so- so flirty with him was enough of a message for Derek. He could accept it, he would _have_ to accept it. But he didn't have to be happy about it.

A small hand interrupted his vision and his thoughts as it waved across his face.

"Hello? Derek?" He winced at the familiarity of his name slipping from her tongue. He was suddenly overcome by her blue eyes as she leaned over the front of his desk to get a good look at him He mentally willed himself to keep a safe distance from her face, but, her lips, they parted perfectly in concern. Derek internally groaned.

"Are you okay?" Derek's eyes narrowed.

"There's a small girl in my face, I think I'm a little irritable," he said emotionlessly. She blushed and jumped back, eyes falling to the floor.

"Is there anything wrong," Chloe asked after a moment. "I mean, you've been kind of distant lately, I thought that- after Monday- I-" She trailed off nervously, looking away, then thinking better of it once she caught sight of Liam, she gave him her attention again.

Derek sighed, both with relief and frustration. Relief, because her awkward statement answered about half of his questions. She hadn't forgotten about Monday morning. Frustrated, because it was giving him false hope.

"I'm just- crankier than usual, I guess," Derek shrugged, receiving a sigh from Chloe in reaction. She slumped into her seat dispiritedly, and Derek would have given anything to know exactly what she thought of him, good or not.

He refrained.

"Bison's and Bissonette's to the bus loading station please. Bison's and Bissonette's to the bus loading station, thank you," the secretary from the front desk requested from the school's speaker system.

Regretfully, Derek wasn't looking forward to this, the anticipation became fairly anti- climatic before the trip even took place. His true goal was to keep on eye on Chloe, just as Liam had threatened him to do. But Derek's hopes of getting something more out of it all but died in three short days. All because of Chloe's smile whenever she was around Simon.

She didn't smile like that when she was around him.

* * *

Derek followed Chloe to the bus- typical, large, yellow, and dirty- they were nearly the last ones to board. As they waited behind a line of students, Chloe shifted her weight towards him and her hand brushed against his knuckles. Derek flinched and retracted, shoving his hands into his pockets, eyes catching Chloe looking away, expression unreadable.

When it was finally their turn to search the aisles for an open seat, Chloe was bombarded by Rae, who took hold of her arm and began to tug her to a seat a few behind the driver.

"Hey, Chloe. I'm pretty- h-hey what are you-" Chloe slipped herself from Rae's grip and pushed past her, finding an empty seat on the opposite side in the middle. Derek passed a stunned Rae with a small sense of satisfaction. As cold as the gesture was, Derek couldn't feel more proud of Chloe. Seeing his smirk, she glared daggers at him and dropped into her seat.

Chloe caught his eye from her seat and Derek quickly took in the rest of the bus, finding that the only open seat was next to Liam.

_Damn it_, he thought, dreading the idea of enduring a snug ride all the way to Syracuse with Chloe. He suddenly felt claustrophobic and he didn't know if he could handle it. The mixed messages and conflicting emotions. But, her eyes, so hopeful, almost begging. He was seconds away from giving in-

"Derek."

Said boy glanced back to see Andrew beckoning him back to the front of the bus. With a sigh of relief he turned, not even daring to give Chloe a second look.

"Sit across from me, I have to go over the roster sheets and the filing process with you before the game."

"Sure," Derek said, surprised by how shaky his voice was.

By the time the bus was pulling out of Buffalo, Derek was already suffering from a migraine that he begged, with whatever higher power, to be the death of him. The ride was guaranteed to be crowded, stuffy, and loud. Not to mention nerve-wracking, as Derek was refraining from permitting himself too many glances back where he justified his actions as making sure that Liam kept his distance from Chloe.

Thankfully, he did. Unfortunately, the reason he did so was because the open seat Chloe had been offering Derek earlier was now occupied by one of the players. Derek knew him from his and Simon's fifth hour Government class. Brady. Big- not nearly as big as Derek- confident, and good-looking.

They chatted idly, where Brady did most of the talking and Chloe mostly ignored him, looking to have something else on her mind. That boiling sensation only simmered, hardly as noticeable as compared to when it reacted to Simon's proximity with Chloe, only because she looked so uninterested.

His night in hell was only beginning, and Chloe's displeasure of her neighbor was barely a flicker of light at the end of the tunnel. This was going to be a long trip.

* * *

Derek dropped into a seat at the back of the bus in a heap, groaning at the stiffness of his stilled muscles. They bulged and pulled against each other, protesting from malnutrition that was only kept from them for a few hours-seven and a half if the trip to Syracuse and the time of the game were combined- as well as his daily runs to satisfy his body's constant desire to move.

Though he did nothing for the entire game except sit on one of the benches, with a clipboard propped against his knee, where he continued to bend over it and record some great achievement made by one of the players- causing Derek to pay more attention to the stupid game than he actually wanted to- he longed for a nice, hot shower and a good crash into his bed for an eternity for enduring something so trivial as a school event. It had to of been a hundred times worse than the pep rally, as it topped off the boisterous event with cheerleaders, the band, and the speaker system constantly screeching its annoying announcer's voice across the field.

He felt uptight and restless the whole time, only now taking a deep breath in with his eyes closed, feeling himself relax into the the bus seat that wasn't too comfortable but notably better than sitting on a backless bench. The rowdy teams cheered and boasted as they clambered onto the bus- having won the game thanks to Liam and Brady, whose final play finished the game with seconds to spare- but Derek pushed out all the noise, falling into his own peaceful attempt to calm every tight muscle and nerve in his body.

Of course, Derek didn't always get what he wanted, which always had something to do with a small, blonde girl whether he wanted her or not.

At the moment he didn't, but it didn't fail for her to be the one tapping his bicep, interrupting his chances of relaxing. Derek sighed and opened his eyes, of course being greeted by Chloe's that glowed in the six o'clock setting sun. She seemed closed though her gaze was questioning, that hope lingering. Derek held his breath, waiting.

"Can I sit next to you- please," she added with a hint of desperation, and Derek took that as a hint to take in their surroundings. There wasn't a doubt as to why there was a resigned fear in her eyes. Liam was the only one with an empty seat, again, and Chloe was left optionless. So Derek nodded without hesitation, knowing he rather endure the long trip back with her than have her be stuck with Liam.

He stood, pulling himself behind her in the aisle so that she could take the seat next to the window. He stiffened as she brushed past him, her arm sending a vicious tingling sensation down his torso. He refrained from caging her back into himself by clenching and unclenching his fists until she finally took her seat and he his, sitting as far as inconspicuously possible.

As the bus jerked into motion, Derek kept his eyes forward, his stature tense, cursing his freakish hormones that prevented him from finding the calm he had wanted, and thanking the higher power that kept a silence over him and Chloe.

He was _not_ surprised when she finally spoke, though he had prayed against it.

"I wish you would just tell me what's wrong," Chloe said after a while, her eyes watching Syracuse pass by through the window. Derek gave a rumbled, 'It doesn't concern you,' eager to going back to the silence. But, knowing Chloe, she wouldn't let it go. And he was right, she snorted.

"Obviously, I mean, I'm the one being ignored and it's none of my business."

"I'm not ignoring you, Chloe."

"Bullshit, Derek." They glared at each other, Derek internally willed her to drop it and cease her ways of torturing him. But he knew she wouldn't and she didn't. Her eyes softened in a way that made Derek's heart flip, slightly disturbing his resolve to get over her.

"I thought, after what had happened, I thought we were friends." Derek sighed, questioning whether or not he could handle being just friends with Chloe. "Obviously not," she added, looking away with confliction, tormenting Derek in different ways.

"How can I even take anything you say to me seriously, Derek, if all you do is sulk in self loathing?"

"Chloe, this has nothing to do with-"

"Whatever happened between Monday and today has everything to do with your incapability to forgive yourself. You don't think you're good enough, is that it?

Derek didn't answer. She had him pegged, pinned beneath her sharp observation. He couldn't even lie even if he wanted to, because Chloe deserved better than that. She had been right. Derek was a hypocrite.

"You're the one who told me that the past was the past. What happened back in Albany, it was an accident-"

"I'm sure Simon cleaned up what happened pretty well for you, Chloe."

"You wouldn't have done anything without reason-"

"You weren't there, you didn't see what happened."

"But I know you wouldn't hurt someone on purpose, Derek. I know you wouldn't. It's just not you," Chloe said slowly, penetrating him with her sharp blue gaze. Derek couldn't miss the sincerity she held in her eyes, in her expression. Derek was perfectly aware that Simon hadn't told Chloe much. Perhaps more of his own side rather than the details of the actual fight. But still, she truly and stubbornly believed her convictions, yet she hadn't seen the situation and couldn't ever understand as badly as she wanted to. She conceived that Derek wasn't at fault, but he was.

"You didn't mean to-"

"So just because I didn't mean to, that makes it all okay? _I_ lost control, I _threw_ a kid to the ground, permanently disabling him-" Derek's voice faltered at his own words though they remained forceful, low and harsh. This was his first time verbally reliving the fight, and the remorse was ten times worse. "But that makes it okay, because I didn't _mean_ to, didn't_ plan_ to?"

Chloe was ready with a retort, having a reaction- after initially wincing at the ferocity of his words- that caught Derek off guard. She was quick, tempered and committed.

"You were trying to protect Simon-"

"Yes, Chloe. I was trying to protect Simon, but you still don't understand-"

"What else is there to understand," Chloe protested with frustration. Derek sighed, taking a minute to catch his breath and look away. He caught sight of Liam- doing so a lot lately- whose eyes were watching them carefully. Derek knew what it looked like. Liam could see the tangible void being built between Derek and Chloe since Monday, and if he had suspicions of anything, they were being proven by their argument.

Derek promised not only himself, but Chloe and Liam that there would be no break between them. He wouldn't allow it. But why did this have to take a sudden drastic turn? Why did Derek have to like a girl who obviously didn't have a mutual admiration for him in return? She clearly cared for Derek more than others, but it wasn't the same.

Could Derek _really_ handle being 'just friends' with Chloe?

Under Liam's predatory glare, with every resolve Derek made to keep him away from her, the answer should only be so simple. But it wasn't.

Looking back at Chloe he was greeted with her questioning eyes, still waiting for him to answer and validate every notion she had about him.

After knowing what she wanted to understand so badly- which was so beyond Derek, he wondered why she couldn't just let it go- would she even want to be friends with him?

"Simon told you that he was waiting for me after school, right? That I had to speak with a teacher and he was going to wait for me in the school's basketball courts?"

Chloe nodded in confirmation, holding his gaze, refusing to allow him any grace. He couldn't look away.

"I took longer than I thought. I had a meeting with the head of the science department who ran the science fair I placed in last year. He was giving me the scholarship offer and by the time I made it out to the courts, I'm fronted with Simon cornered by a couple of guys who screamed bad news. I didn't know what was going on exactly, for a minute; I thought they were a couple of Simon's buddies just messing around. But then one of them pulled a knife- I- I don't know what happened next. I blacked out, Chloe. I was angry, furious. I was scared and I didn't care what happened to them. What I saw was Simon in danger and I let something else take over me. The next thing I knew, I was throwing the one with a knife to the ground and- and he wouldn't get up. He didn't- couldn't- move-" Derek hadn't even been able to tell his dad this much, let alone the counselors. But, with Chloe's aura pushing him through the entire confession, with her eyes urging him to continue, he couldn't stop and he found that he didn't want to. Part of him wanted that release, one Chloe was willing to take, the other part of him wanted the idea to seep into her thick head. He was _dangerous_. He wanted so badly to scare Chloe, hoping deep down that she would accept him, as insane and inane as it sounds. What he would do after that, he wasn't sure. He wasn't even sure he could handle Chloe's acceptance, knowing it wasn't going to be enough to think twice about him over Simon. He pressed forward anyways, words spewing like vomit, desperately trying to convey his point to this complicated, beautiful girl.

"I lost control when I could have handled the situation differently. I _hurt_ someone, Chloe. It was my fault."

At first, Chloe was quiet, watching him closely, a thoughtful expression took her features. Not fear, not judgment, not disgust, just thoughtful.

"Did you mean to-"

"Chloe," Derek huffed, looking forward with exasperation. Why couldn't she let that go? It didn't matter if he didn't mean to, why couldn't she come to terms with that?

"Just listen. Did you mean to do it?"

"No."

"You were only thinking of Simon?"

"Yes."

"Did you want to hurt him?"

"Of course not!" Derek snapped a disbelieving look at her, but she pressed forward.

"So, how can you admit to that, proving even more that you had an innocent lapse in judgment, but you can't even forgive yourself? Or were you okay with other accusations, ones that were clearly not true, thinking that maybe what others said about you was right? Maybe you were unstable. Maybe you would lose control again. Maybe you deserved the latter of what you've been dealt, hoping that possible containment would keep you from doing something like that again?"

Derek avoided Chloe's eyes, having been introduced to a topic he hadn't thought about since the counselors went over his legal warning. What if they were to take him to the institution they promised to if he were to mess up again instead of giving him this second chance? Would that deter the chance of Derek losing control ever again?

"Derek," Chloe questioned slowly, a light hum in the background as Derek dove deeper into his thoughts.

It was unlikely and highly unnecessary. Derek couldn't guarantee to himself that he would not repeat the accident, wouldn't let himself be overcome by his anger, his fear. But, he knew that containment would have the opposite effect of what his counselors had proceeded to be a quiet, smooth environment for him. The idea brought back intentionally forgotten memories of Derek's early childhood at the orphanage, igniting his development of claustrophobia. Derek would soon go insane before they tried to 'stabilize' him.

"Derek," Chloe squeaked nervously and disbelievingly after Derek took too long to answer.

"No, okay, Chloe. I don't have a containment wish."

"You better not," she said after a minute, shaky and fearfully.

"I don't," Derek said softly. After another pause, consisting of Chloe's scrutinizing gaze, she spoke again.

"You still can't forgive yourself. You're still not sure that you'll be able to keep control if something like that happens again," Chloe accused carefully, something alight in her eyes that dared him to confirm this. She took his silence as a, 'yes' when he didn't answer, then turned to look out the window.

"Then why didn't you hurt Liam Monday morning," Chloe asked passively.

Why didn't he- Because he didn't want to repeat the accident of course. He didn't want to scare her. He didn't want to throw away all of his father's hard work to get him out of that mess. He didn't want to lose his family's faith in him. He didn't want to be unstable, dangerous. He-

Oh.

"I rest my case," Chloe said beside him when the silence lasted too long. The corners of her lips twitched upwards in victory though her eyes were glued to the window and the empty scenery beyond it.

That was it. That was all she had to say, because she was right. Because Derek _should_ be able to forgive himself. Because he knew- he _knew_ for certain- that there was control, there was stability, there was sanity. Because he knew it wasn't his fault.

It was an accident. Accidents happen. Whatever happens, it happens for a reason. And the reason wasn't for Derek to realize that he was uncontrolled, loose, rampant, dangerous, untrustworthy, or unfaithful. The reason was for him to realize that he was the exact opposite.

Simon could always- _would_ always, despite current situations- depend on Derek. He could trust Derek to have his back, as well as Chloe. He had control; his family knew that more than he knew himself. They could see it, _feel_ it. With control there were no loose ends, no imbalance.

Derek was Derek, he couldn't be anything else, and his purpose wasn't to be dangerous. His purpose was to do whatever it takes to watch over those threatened by danger, like an alpha, a pack leader.

Derek and Chloe spent the next hour in silence where Derek willingly replayed the accident in his head. The sight of a threat looming over someone he cared about, a member of his pack, it set off an inner instinct that, if it had not taken action quickly, though it would have been preferable to be less forceful, would have been too late where something terrible could have happened. Simon could have been hurt. Maybe what Derek had done, where he would have done whatever it took anyways, had saved the grace of the potential, of the inevitable consequence of not acting on his sudden adrenaline.

Taking a privilege to walk from someone was not fair, but justifiable and rational. What if it was what had to be done? Because now it was done and Simon was safe.

What about Derek's actions with Liam? Chloe's safety hadn't been in immediate danger, but it was tangible, concrete, inexplicably there. Derek wouldn't be surprised if Liam had bruises on his wrist from his grip. But he had been able to control the situation, because control was what Derek needed to portray to a guy like Liam. If he saw the slightest slip up, Liam wouldn't hesitate to pounce. This was obvious by his words, his threats of getting Derek into a fight he couldn't afford. But Derek had remained calm- as calm as he could manage- and this deterred Liam's advance, making him second guess, making him re-plan, because Derek was sure Liam wasn't going to give this up.

Unless Liam gave him no choice, Derek didn't want to hurt anyone, and Chloe had helped him realize that. It wasn't in just this instance where she finally put it into words, making it feel like more of a reality, but the fact that she was different and made Derek feel- normal. He let her will his own acceptance into him because she wasn't afraid, or judgmental, or uncomfortable.

How could he ever express his gratitude for her without letting slip that this moment only intensified his idea of how _right_ Chloe was for him? How could he ever repay her without making her feel guilty for liking Simon over him? Because she would, she was just too nice, too kind-hearted.

Could he only be friends with Chloe? Could he handle that, because that was what she wanted?

A sudden weight against Derek's left side started him from his thoughts, snapping him back into the dark- lazily quiet, now that the hype of the game had died down- bus and cruel world with a new bearing of mind. He stole a glance towards Chloe, coming to realize that the weight against his arm was her petite frame. Her left shoulder, exposed as her jacket had slipped down her arm, was rising and falling in a gentle rhythm with her chest. Her head was tucked against his shoulder where her hair swam against his sleeve, falling into her calm features. Her hands lay limp in her lap, her right one threatening to fall from her thigh into the space between her seat and Derek's.

She was asleep.

After his initial surprise and the beating of his heart slowed, he moved to pull her sleeve back up over her shoulder and froze when his fingers grazed her neck. Softly, but deliberately- and helplessly without giving it a second thought- he swept his knuckles against her cheek in an act to pull her blonde tresses from her face. Her skin was warm, teasing his own seemingly cold fingers. Chloe shifted abruptly at his touch and Derek stiffened. He hadn't meant to wake her and wouldn't dare even if he wanted to. She looked so serene, so peaceful, so- content as she pushed herself closer to him, sighing incoherently and falling still once again.

As Derek let his hand fall back into his own lap, he released a pained whisper just above her ear.

"Why do you insist on torturing me, Chloe?"

Hoping an answer would come to him, all the while knowing it wouldn't, Derek blew out an exhausted sigh and slumped back against his own seat, allowing Chloe to remain asleep against his side. His lids felt heavy and it dawned on him just how deflated he really was. These past two week had been an emotional rollercoaster on top of sleep evading him for nearly two months now.

The edge was welcoming him with open arms and the sound of Chloe's even breathes were calming, inviting, and all together intoxicating. Derek allowed himself to rest his eyes for a few moments, easily slipping into a numb, dreamless sleep.

He could vaguely remember thinking that if this was what it meant to be friends with Chloe, if this was what she wanted from him, moments like this with such a personal, hurricane of a relationship, than maybe, just maybe, there might be a small chance he could handle this.

Now, for how long without going insane? That was a different story.

***Holds imaginary gun to head.* What a delightfully, frustrating chapter. That's why I felt as if ****the title for the chapter fits it perfectly. What did you guys think? Make me happy, please? Comments and critic of course! Hugs and Kisses! I'll try not to take too long with the next update, how does Monday sound? It'll give me time to finish chapter 15, 16 and the One-shot that fits in between... Let me know and review! **


	14. Chapter 14 Conflicted or Waiting

**Author's Note- I'm so glad this chapter didn't take too long to write, it just spilled out. **

**Thank you reviewers and readers, of course. To say the least, your comments to the last chapter had me either smiling, dancing, or crying with overbearing happiness. Some made me laugh so hard, my teacher questioned my sanity. I blurted my regular excuse... Coffee. I swear its like a rainbow in a cup!**

**As you guys can see, the rating has been changed. This took a lot of consideration, and the answers will become more clear in the future. I promise to make the story of _extreme_ T-rating worthy though. Also, yes, I changed my penname. I am no longer _Amethyst-Blood Crimson-Tears_, but _Alasyn of Crimson Amethyst_. I don't know exactly why I wanted to change it but I like having my actual name in there... hehe.**

**Random News: Get this, tomorrow I am getting my new reading glasses- never had the money to get a proper eye exam- and by the end of the month I will have a full mouth of braces. :) I'm a late blossoming nerd!**

**Enjoy this chapter, things are starting to get... intense.**

* * *

_At this point… I'd rather go insane in a mental institution than spend one more second in denial or being deluded._

**Chapter 14- Conflicted or Waiting**

The more Derek thought about it- which was a lot over the following week- the more it made sense for Chloe to be with Simon. Honestly, Chloe was his type. Cute, spunky- bitter humor would be a better way to phrase it- and blonde. Rationally, what did Simon have to offer that Derek didn't? Well, just about everything.

Simon knew how to treat girls. He knew all the tricks, all the charms, the jokes, the availability of his attention, the powers to keep a strong relationship. As strong a relationship as high schoolers' could hold. He knew how to respect a girl. He knew how to treat her right. He knew how to honor her boundaries, but provide just the right amount comfort and controlled- for lack of better words- fluff.

What did Derek know? Hell, before Chloe, he hardly talked to any girls other than Tori, and he still had a hard time doing so with Chloe alone. He didn't know how to charm her and he certainly didn't have Simon's sense of humor, unless his berating banter and sarcasm could count. He didn't have Simon's patience, he didn't know how to comfort- even as much as his methods seemed to be enough for Chloe, he doubted it would be every time. He didn't know how to act, where it was permitted to keep space or not. Unlike Simon, he wasn't good at reading those signs unless he took note of the fear in the eyes of his peers. Then he kept his distance from them all together.

What could he give Chloe that Simon couldn't give ten times better?

Derek halted at the top of his porch, having jogged the neighboring blocks around his house in his daily run after school, calming his rough breathing as the cold December air stabbed at his lungs. He was permitted to stay out a little later because it was only Wednesday, where on Thursdays he had to cut his run short for dinner. As of five o'clock, the sun cast the sky into an eruption of yellow and deep purple colors. And though it was particularly cold, but not quite below freezing, Derek merely wore a pair of dark shorts and a gray t-shirt that stuck uncomfortably to his clammy skin. He was half tempted to rip it off.

His mind reeled around his blatantly obvious obsession the entire run, just as it had every day, just as it had since he first laid eyes on her. The effort was now tedious and overwhelming, almost like his reoccurring moves as his dad used to jump from job to job to job.

His latest question wasn't whether Chloe was worth anything anymore, because she was. It wasn't whether she felt the same for him either, because she didn't. It wasn't whether she was willing to be his friend or not, because, due to recent events and realizations, It was obvious that she cared and she did.

All the questions jumbled together into one of agonizing inquiry that was somewhere along the lines of how could he have been so stupid as to think he stood a chance?

Against Simon?

All the girls liked Simon.

Though it was particularly painful, and Derek was definitely jealous of Simon's relationship abilities, Derek could accept that Simon was right for Chloe. As much as Derek believed Chloe was right for him, he was not right for her.

Besides, Simon could make her happy, as corny as that sounds, Derek was okay- was going to have to be okay- with that because he wanted that for Chloe. He wanted her to be happy. He wanted her to be safe.

Derek rolled his shoulders, and shook his head, attempting to clear it, but only managed to have his damp hair fall into his eyes and stick to the perspiration on his forehead. Derek hoped that eating would make a good distraction, because his stomach was rumbling and protesting from lack of protein, and it usually served him some grace and peace of mind. Unlike his beloved runs that betrayed his thoughts.

Derek was halfway to the kitchen, having taken the rest of the porch in stride, as well as the entry hall and the living room, when there was a slightly quiet but sturdy knock on the front door. With a sigh and a desperate sound from his stomach, Derek turned back around and made to open the door.

All at once, he was glad that he did and wished that he hadn't.

"Chloe?"

Said girl instantly snapped her eyes up at him, having been previously distracted by pushing her keys into her school bag- her small, silver Prelude sat contentedly at the curb in front of his house- and her blue eyes met his with a smiling glow.

"Hi-" She happily chirped at first, but then she cut off mid speech, eyes taking in the condition of his matted hair and sweaty face before her smile fell and her eyes wandered down his stature. Her eyes penetrated him in a way that made him self conscious. What in the hell was she-

Derek looked down at himself, finding that his t-shirt was indeed stuck against his chest, giving those who looked well enough a good view of- well, of everything.

Derek was big, but he wasn't bulky. Hadn't Chloe been aware of that before?

Derek would have called himself a fool for thinking he was self conscious before. He crossed his arms over his chest, which didn't really help because Chloe's eyes traveled to his arms. Exasperated, Derek exhaled in frustration.

"Chloe."

She blinked. Then blinked harder and shook her head, foggy, distracted eyes finally bouncing up to meet his with question.

"Huh," She squeaked stupidly.

"What are you doing here," Derek asked a little harsher than he had originally intended. But it was considered rude in society to stare. And it was easily picked out when that thought dawned on Chloe once her eyes widened and cheeks heated a delicious color.

"I-I'm here t-to-"

"Derek? Who's at the door," Kit asked as he came up from behind Derek, probably having made his way from the kitchen. Where Derek should be right now, he noted as his stomach continued to pester him.

Derek moved aside a bit so that his dad could see their guest, and once Kit caught sight of her his eyes sparked with recognition. A friendly smile spread across his features, one Derek remembered ever since he was a small child.

"You must be Chloe. Simon told me you would be stopping by to work on your project before you have to present it tomorrow, correct?"

Derek turned his attention to his father, several questions flitting through his mind. Simon had invited Chloe over to their house? They were going to finish their project? His dad had known about this and was okay with it? Why hadn't _he_ been informed? Wasn't everyone aware that Simon was at try-outs for the basketball team this very minute?

"U-um, yes," Chloe said politely, though still seemingly flustered. Kit nodded, then quirked his brow in question.

"You're a little early, Simon still isn't back from basketball try-outs."

"Oh, I thought I was supposed to be here at five. I'm sorry Mr. Bae, I must have misheard you on the phone earlier. I can come back-"

More questions; Chloe had talked to Derek's dad on the phone earlier?

"No, no, it's quite alright. He should be back within a few minutes. You can hang out here until then if you wish. Unfortunately I have a few errands to run, but I'm sure Derek can keep you company until Simon arrives," Kit said and he passed Derek a dazzling- but extremely innocent- smile.

At this point, Derek was downright suspicious.

"S-sure." Chloe said, though her brows pushed together in slight confusion, looking just as puzzled by Kit's actions as Derek felt.

"Of course, I mean, you're alright with it, right Derek," Kit added, giving his son a scrutinizing gaze. A gaze that said, _'You're going to be okay with this whether you really are or not._' Derek gave him a wary look and sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.

"I suppose so."

"Great!" Kit beamed, then turned back to Chloe who looked despairingly lost. "Well, Chloe, it was very nice to finally meet you after hearing so much from both my boys." Her adorable blush returned at Kit's comment, and Derek swallowed back his desire to stroke her colored cheeks. "I hope to see you around more often, but for now I must cut this greeting short. Have a good night."

Chloe nodded, and smiled, though seemingly forced behind her perplexed features.

"Thank you, Mr. Bae. You too."

With an approving smile, Kit nodded and grabbed for the keys on the table that stood on the landing of the stairs leading up to the bedrooms. He slid past Chloe and trotted to his car, as if trying to escape as fast as possible.

"Your dad is nice," Chloe stated quietly, that smile she had when Derek first opened the door had returned with a slight sense of timidness as she kept her eyes on his. Derek nodded slowly and stepped away from the opening of the door so that she could come inside. He didn't like the nearly invisible trail of Goosebumps rising up her neck as the cold air continued to dance against her skin as she stood on the porch. She stepped inside.

"Uh, I was going to make something to eat. Do you want anything," Derek said awkwardly, feeling that maybe it was polite to offer her something. Plus he was desperately trying to keep the two of them from entering an uncomfortable silence. She was quiet for a second, contemplating.

"Maybe some water?"

Again, Derek nodded, and he led her to the kitchen.

* * *

Derek got Chloe a glass of water and informed her that he would be right back. He needed to change. Badly.

He did so quickly, taking a little extra time to comb his fingers through his hair and apply a quick coat of deodorant.

Of course, Chloe was _only_ his friend, but Derek really didn't want to smell around her.

When he re-entered the kitchen, he found her bar stool empty, the glass no where in sight. He peaked into the dining room beyond the swinging white door and saw Chloe examining some pictures on the wall. He approached her to see that she was looking at one of him and Simon sitting by a campfire. Simon was holding out a stick with a fiery marshmallow at the end, where Derek looked to be bored and couldn't care less about his own marshmallow catching fire. They were younger in that picture, probably about twelve.

"That was at Andrew's house outside Syracuse," Derek stated and Chloe jumped. All too predictable. She shot him a scowl for, once again, startling her before turning back to the pictures.

"Was your dad happy to catch up with him," she asked as she moved along the pictures on the wall.

"I'm sure he was surprised to hear from him, but they didn't talk too long. Before, they could go for hours, but maybe Andrew was just busy."

"You don't believe that," Chloe observed from the tone in his voice.

"Well, I don't know. The vibe between them was different I guess." Chloe nodded and then stopped at a picture a few to the left of the one with the campfire. Her lips twitched up in a small smile, and Derek looked away nervously.

"This is you at that science fair, huh?"

"Uh, yeah," Derek said indifferently, taking in himself from the previous year where he was holding up a blue ribbon with a smirk of victory plastered across his face. He had been hit pretty hard by puberty when he was sixteen and his skin was scattered with blemishes, while his hair hung lank and greasy into his eyes, longer than it currently was. Though Derek didn't particularly feel to great about that picture, he couldn't help but feel satisfied when Chloe's smile grew a hint bigger as she looked at it.

"So." Derek cleared his throat, eager to change the subject. "What do you and Simon have to do for your project?"

Not the best change, because it only reminded Derek of the fact that Chloe was here for Simon, not him. Chloe turned to him with a roll of her eyes. She crossed her arms, covering her necklace she hadn't worn for a few days.

"Does Simon have stage fright? Because, apparently, we need more time to work on our presentation. He doesn't think it's good enough yet, where I think it's perfectly fine," she laughed lightly. Her inflection, the tone of her voice when she talked about Simon was odd. It was merely a playful mocking. Nothing really beyond that. Derek wondered why that was.

"Nah, Simon isn't really afraid of catching the attention of others. Maybe he thinks you're the one who needs to work on your acting," Derek stated as innocently as he could. Chloe scoffed.

"My acting is fine, thank you very much. Besides, we're only reciting a scene from Romeo and Juliet. It's not that hard knowing everyone else is going to butcher it. After all, Shakespeare doesn't even write in English. For all we know, even the most talented of actors could be portraying his vision completely wrong."

"Sure, sure, all excuses," Derek mused making Chloe laugh and shake her head.

Just as Derek was wondering why it couldn't always be this easy to be around Chloe, the door that connected the kitchen and the dining room swung open to reveal a particularly delighted Simon.

Sure, his smile wavered a little at the sight of Chloe and Derek in the dining room together, but he beamed nonetheless.

"Hey, Chloe. You're early. Or I'm late, I didn't think I would be out this long."

"Hi, Simon. How were the tryouts," Chloe asked out of kindness. He own smile dimmed, looking rather forced instead of effortless like it had a second ago.

"Really well. The coach says I have a good chance, but I have a lot of catching up to do." To Derek's surprise, Simon said this somewhat absentmindedly, and his disturbingly good mood didn't make sense. A suspicion Derek never held for Simon before bubbled up in Derek's chest as he wondered what his brother was thinking.

"That's great! So, um, what are your plans, Simon? I'm up for whatever as long as I can get home by seven. My aunt isn't on call tonight, which is rare, so she wants to catch some dinner and a movie."

_Aunt_, Derek blanched. He didn't know Chloe had an aunt. Was it her father's sister, or her mother's? Where was she working that constantly had her on call, confirming that Chloe was alone most of the time when she wasn't at school or at practice? How close were they? Was her aunt like her father, distanced by work?

Chloe's eyes glowed with excitement at the mention of spending her evening with this aunt Derek knew nothing about. Of course, he had never asked. Hell, he never even asked about Chloe's family before he started making assumptions about them. He shouldn't be too surprised that he didn't know about this subject.

He sure as hell wasn't surprised to find out that Simon knew about Chloe's aunt, reasoned by him nodding in understanding.

Did he know about Chloe's dad?

Her mom?

Could Simon see how much pain Chloe's broken family caused her? Could he understand?

Derek could. Maybe that was what Derek could give ten times better than Simon could ever dream. But, it was probably the only thing.

"It's not too cold outside and our room is a disaster. We could go out back and just go through the presentation a couple times. Twenty minutes tops," Simon assured, though his infliction was slightly rushed and nervous.

"We can't stay inside," Chloe questioned.

"Nah, we need to get through it without any distractions. We don't know when Tori will show up, or what kind of a mood she will be in if she does."

Chloe giggled and shrugged in agreement before turning towards Derek, who happened to feel all but forgotten since Simon walked through the door. Would it always be like this if Simon and Chloe hooked up?

Derek's stomach flipped traitorously at the expectant look in Chloe's eyes. She smiled softly.

"Want to join us? It will give you a good chance to actually judge and insult my acting," she teased.

"Derek has his own school crap to worry about," Simon laughed anxiously, eyes flitting towards Derek before quickly looking away.

_What's up with him_, Derek wondered. He was acting really- strange.

"Besides, you may want him to criticize your acting, but I don't want him bashing on mine." Chloe threw Simon a look once he finished, obviously seeing what Derek was also sensing. But she shrugged, gave a small wave to Derek, and asked Simon to lead the way.

Derek was left in the dining room, alone with his suspicion and paranoia.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Derek was sitting on the couch in the living room, using the television as an excuse to wait by the sliding glass door that led to the backyard. He couldn't see them. The yard was spacious, grand, and filled with a plethora of outlier trees and bushes. He figured they were at the picnic table near the back gate, leaving him with little access of their activities.

He was nervous, anxious, disgruntled. The way Simon had been acting had set him off. Something about his efforts seemed- desperate. Getting Chloe to come over, when she clearly believed they didn't need the extra time on the project, then ushering her outside, while declining the invitation Chloe had given Derek without Derek's say in the matter.

The pettiness of Simon's actions was unraveling, and it was clear he was going to make some sort of move. Derek was merely waiting- impatiently- to see if something would come out of it. Of course, he couldn't deny that nothing was going to happen. Simon always got the girls he wanted. But a small part of him, the part that had been rejecting all his logic and reason since the first day he had met Chloe, dared to hope- strongly believed- that Simon wasn't what Chloe wanted.

So, by the time Derek finally caught sight of Chloe- confirming his earlier assumptions by approaching, at a rather quick pace, from the direction of the picnic table- part of him was a nervous ticking time-bomb, ready to explode with questions that dared to hope.

But one in particular struck Derek in a manner that made his stomach twist with uncomfortable concern and unjustifiable satisfaction, all at the same time.

Why was she alone?

He instantly jumped to his feet at the sight of her slumped shoulders, her defeated posture, her heated cheeks, worry overwhelming the relief. He was across the living room in two strides, sliding the door open and shutting it with a clattered thud. Chloe's head shot up, wide, swollen eyes catching his in something akin to embarrassment and mortification before she averted them. Her pace slowed to a stop in the middle of the yard, keeping a safe distance from him on the patio.

"Where's Simon?" The question came out more harsh and accusatory than he had meant it to, only because he feared Simon was at fault for Chloe's current state of sudden vulnerability. He already claimed to himself that he didn't like seeing Chloe upset. Hurt. It was wrong. And though he could clearly see that something between Chloe and Simon hadn't worked out, he found it hard to believe and unsettling that Simon did something, causing her to look this defeated.

"O-oh, um, h-he said s-something about forgetting his books, or homework. H-he went out the gate a-and said it was probably t-time for me to head home."

Chloe was a horrible liar, especially when she looked so desolate.

"He left you to see yourself out?"

"N-no, I-I told him I could handle it," she explained quickly, not meeting his gaze. "I r-really should get going."

"Chloe," Derek halted her, crossing the space between them to block her path. She stepped back, letting her hair fall into her face. He could see it though, her effort futile. Her eyes were worse than swollen, and her cheeks were stained with dried teary trails.

"You're crying," he whispered, heart beating unevenly in his chest, heat boiling in his gut. "What happened? What did Simon-" He paused, taking a breath to calm his escalating temper. He waited expectantly for her to explain, catching her slight break when her eyes widened and she looked away.

"H-he didn't- there was j-just a misunderstanding."

"What kind of misunderstanding?"

"It's nothing. A-ask Simon."

"Chloe, I'm asking you. What did you do?"

The guilty ridden look in Chloe's expression brought about a sudden protectiveness towards his brother that Derek hadn't felt in a while. He had reasons earlier to believe that Chloe wasn't trustful, and though he actually knew that was seriously not the case, he couldn't hold back yet another accusation from escaping his lips. Chloe stiffened momentarily, confirming something did happen, and she believed it was her fault. Derek's eyes narrowed.

"I screwed up. I d-didn't- I should have known. I should have stopped it a while ago- I-I just didn't realize that-"

"Realize what?"

"I-I really n-need to get home," Chloe urged and tried to step around him, but he blocked her.

"It's hardly six o'clock. What did you do?"

She tried going around him in the opposite direction, but he was in front of her in a second, she glared shortly at him.

"You like Simon, don't you, Chloe?" She jumped at his prying, eyes clearly expressing disbelief, as if she couldn't believe everyone was aware of this, as if she hadn't been aware of it herself.

"Yes, I like Simon. But- n-not-"

"Not what?"

"Talk to Simon, he's the one who-"

"What, Chloe," Derek snapped, while her continuous cutting of explanation was maddening, he used a tone he knew would bring a retaliation from her.

"He knows it wasn't like that. Now h-he does, because he k-knows there is someone else."

"Who?"

Chloe looked conflicted; her gears whirred in attempt to pick the right words. But Derek was left confused. How could she- stubborn, rumored to have everyone's attraction, un-datable, Chloe- like someone other than Simon. Everyone liked Simon. On top of that, his own revelation surprised him, as Derek realized that he didn't want Chloe with anyone unless she had to be, and that someone had to be Simon. Why? So that he could keep a close eye on her. So that she was always around. And, at the moment, he was going to make sure that happened. She wasn't about to ditch Simon- leave him- and flock around with some other guy, no matter how much of her own right that was, Derek wasn't going to allow it.

"There better not be someone else. Because Simon likes you. He really likes you, Chloe."

"I know," she scoffed, taken aback by his sudden tone of demand.

"He's had girls all over him since he was-" Derek paused, counting up the years. "Twelve? Point being, girls have been flocking him for years. Even talking to me, believe it or not, to get to him. Cute girls. Popular girls."

Chloe's eyes suddenly flared and she took a heated step towards him, eyes set with determination and- and hurt. When did this turn around? When had Derek taken a step in the deep end?

"So I should consider myself lucky, shouldn't I? I should be grateful that Simon even looked my way, thanking my lucky stars that someone as nice and respectful as him liked me, is that it?"

"That's not what I-"

"But you're right. Of course you are. I should be thrilled, ecstatic that Simon isn't another jerk who's eying me as a prize, as someone they can tame against the rumors. But no, I had to be the kind of girl who chose the tempered, hot-headed jerk, who can hardly tolerate me, over the sweet, understanding guy that is everything a girl can dream of in a boyfriend."

"I didn't say-"

"Whatever." Chloe pivoted angrily, shoving past him and briskly stepping towards the back door. Derek was momentarily pulled from his flustered and perplexed thoughts; he grabbed for her wrist but she yanked it away.

"Where are you going?"

"I want to go home, seeming as though you think I deliberately hurt your brother and believe I'm not even worthy of his affection, and I doubt Simon wants me hanging around either. I'm leaving."

"I'll walk you out," Derek added quickly, not wanting to leave things like this. She glared daggers at him.

"Don't bother, I can kick myself out." She whirled and rushed through the door before Derek could protest. When he heard the front door slam from across the house, he let his shoulders slump, the weight of the situation finally falling against him.

What had just happened?

"How many times are you going to screw this up, Derek?"

Said boy turned towards the voice, eyes catching on Simon's thin figure leaning against the back gate. He had his arms crossed, expression unreadable, though his amber eyes seemed notably clear, as if they had been fogged and blinded over that last couple of months.

"How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough. I couldn't have just left, no matter how upset I was. It didn't take long for me to realize how much of an idiot I-"

"Simon," Derek interjected, still feeling perturbed and near a peak in uncomfortable questions. "What happened?"

Simon sighed and pushed away from the gate, slowly approaching his brother. Guilt finally overwhelmed his features and he rubbed the back of his neck anxiously.

"I don't know, bro. I- I was desperate. I didn't want to believe what I was seeing with you and Chloe-"

"There's nothing-"

"Shove it, Derek. I may not be a genius like you are, but I'm not stupid. At first, I thought it was my imagination. That I was hallucinating about the vibe I was getting from you two. The way you started acting differently whenever Chloe was brought up, or how she acted by the end of our second hour class, as if she were ready to bolt from the room any second; I was in serious denial, having excuses and explanations for everything. I thought I was right once you guys got into that fight, but after you guys made up- I just didn't want to accept it. Like I said, I got desperate. And my suspicions were only confirmed today, which was a major disappointment, yeah, but I feel like an ass, because I've been acting like such a jerk and it wasn't fair of me. Not to you or Chloe."

"Simon, Chloe likes you-"

"No, Derek, she doesn't. That was made pretty clear by the fact that she didn't react once I-"

"You didn't," Derek started, practically growled, startling himself by his own ferocity. Yes, he had wanted that to happen- convinced himself over and over- but now the possibility, the reality, it appalled him.

Simon had kissed Chloe.

"Yeah," Simon murmured quietly. "But," he started, coming back more confidently, more sure. "I have to make amends with Chloe, that's my own problem. I got a little oversensitive, and I overreacted and that wasn't fair to her. She hadn't led me on or anything, and it was my own dumb fault this happened. But, right now, that doesn't matter. It's not about Chloe and I anymore. It's about Chloe and you."

"Chloe doesn't-"

"You know, for a supposed genius, you're pretty dense, bro," Simon stated flatly, with a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Tempered, hot-headed jerk?" When Derek gave him a quizzical look Simon nodded onto the point. "You know, the guy Chloe said she chose over me? Sound familiar?"

_'But no, I had to be the kind of girl who chose the tempered, hot-headed jerk, who can hardly tolerate me, over the sweet, understanding guy that is everything a girl can dream of in a boyfriend.'_

Derek's eyes widened marginally and Simon exhaled in exacerbation.

"Chloe likes you, Derek. A lot. You need to get that through you're thick skull soon and quit screwing things up with her. Don't just push this away, because you can't. Not anymore than you already have. Because, before you know it, Chloe might get tired of waiting for you. I doubt it, but it won't be easy for you to gain back her respect."

Derek remained silent, slowly taking everything in. Chloe's constant confliction around him and her dislike of his withdrawal, her subtle hints, her sense of ease around him, her ability to share anything and everything with him, the lack of hesitation when she touched him, her rejection to Simon; all reasons to believe that she liked him. _Him_. Not Simon, not another guy. Him.

Simon clapped him on the back, giving him a small smile of reassurance.

"For once, Derek, you know that I'm right." He turned, shoving his hand into his pockets, an aura of dejection still washed off of him, but Derek knew he would be over it soon enough; Simon began towards the house. He stopped for a second, glancing back at Derek with an odd, humorously pained look.

"Oh, and sorry for being such a sucky ass brother." With that, he took the patio steps and silently closed the sliding glass door behind him, leaving Derek alone as the sky grew darker, though his thoughts grew lighter.

Everything seemed to stand still, casting a truth that, where Derek thought he had things figured out, he really had no clue.

But, he was certain about one thing.

He liked Chloe, and he was going to do something about it.

**For some reason, these chapters keep getting longer and longer. :/ Too long for my liking, I don't want to fall back into old habits of taking so long to write, but a lot has to happen without this story being dragged out to no end. I can't guarantee they will continue to be this long. Comments? Concerns? Review please. I can guarantee a Friday update. Maybe sooner ;) Hugs and Loves! Review!**


	15. Chapter 15 Demented Part 1

**Author's Note- Sorry guys. I really tried to update sooner, but it just wouldn't happen. But I promised by Friday. **

**Short chapter, there is a reason behind this as these next two chapters will be of sequential parts. See my note at the end for my complete explanation.**

**Thank you readers and reviewers. You guys broke a whole new record in reviews- for me that is- once again! I very much enjoy hearing from each and every one of you. Your comments and constructive input are very motivating and self- serving, giving you guys more updates of course!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_I've always been paranoid… at this point, I think it needs to be redefined._

**Chapter 15- Demented: Part 1**

"Hey," Chloe barked while attempting to rip her arm away from Derek's grasp. "You can't just-"

Derek ignored her and pulled her aside, no longer having the patience or the sanity to handle her cold shoulder treatment. She had been graced by insane luck that Thursday morning, as Mr. Beck lectured away their third hour, for the first time since the beginning of the budgeting project, on rational behavior and reasonable purchases as some groups- cough, Rae and Amber, cough- were plummeting into debt. He had been so serious, stressing the importance and the grading direction of the project, that Derek hadn't had a chance to get Chloe's attention, who would have possibly said as little as possible to him in the first place.

But, he was going to talk to her before the night's game. Granted, it was only a home game- Derek still had to keep up on his 'hours' for Andrew nonetheless- but Derek wasn't going to give Liam the benefit of the doubt or a single iota of Derek and Chloe's current distance. Also, he didn't know if he could handle being at the game alone.

It was Buffalo against Albany.

Yes, Derek had accepted that the accident was just that- an accident. He had come to terms with himself, knowing who he was and what he was capable of by meaning to or not. But, it was Chloe who had brought this realization upon him in the first place. Additionally, aside from that, the kid involved in the accident had been on the football team- not that Albany's team had been any good- but tempers were sure to flare, and rumors were sure to be spread.

Whether Derek had accepted that the accident wasn't his fault or not, the night was guaranteed to be uncomfortable. Though, Derek could say for certain that Chloe could change that. Unfortunately, judging by the scowl she was giving him at the moment, Derek was sure he had to work for it.

"You've talked to Simon?" Chloe rolled her eyes and turned to leave, but Derek caught her elbow again, leaving a numbing effect on his own fingers. He shook his thoughts and tried again.

"Did Simon-"

"Yes," Chloe sighed with exacerbation, and Derek took it as a good sign that she slumped against his touch. "Though, I spent more time trying to decipher his little picture charades instead of actually talking it out." When Derek lifted a slender brow, Chloe rolled her eyes again and pulled a slip of paper from her pocket. Derek took it, letting go of Chloe's arm and unfolded the piece. Lo and behold, it was Simon's drawing style, several pictures lined in a row, holding a secret message. Derek scoffed at his brother's incapability to apologize like a normal human being, but who was he to judge.

"He said that either the answer was no, or his drawing sucked," Chloe said flatly, though there was the smallest hint of humor in her sapphire eyes. "But, we settled things, though it will be kind of weird for a while."

Derek nodded, re-folding the slip that asked for Chloe's forgiveness from Simon's jackass behavior over the last couple of months as well as his inappropriate forwardness from the night before; he gave it back to Chloe before stuffing his hands in his pockets after finding he had nothing to do with them.

"And-" Derek cut off nervously, almost against his own will as his logical half shifted through the possibilities that maybe Simon had been wrong. Maybe he had been wrong. Maybe Chloe didn't like him, never liked him, and maybe she was tired of his shit.

"And, your presentation," he blurted instead, mentally palming his own forehead.

Chloe blinked several times, surveying him long and hard, seeing right through him as always.

"If I answer, will you say what you were really going to say?" Derek's lips twitched, threatening to pull up. Was it a potentially bad or good thing that she could read him so well? Hoping it was the latter, Derek nodded.

"The best performance from Simon in, what I figure to be, his entire life." Derek snorted before his previous notions of flagging her down returned with a new determination of bringing them about.

"And what about me," he asked hesitantly. Now, Derek hadn't necessarily done anything wrong, just simply gave and received the wrong ideas, the wrong notions, and though he was rationalizing and still harping on the idea that Chloe hadn't ever found herself interested in him, he wasn't about to let every confusing obstacle that he and Chloe had faced get between him and his chance to do something about his feelings for her.

"What about you," Chloe asked slowly. It wasn't harsh, and it wasn't meant to be. She was asking him where he stood, what he was thinking. That much was comprehensible. What had he realized? What did he believe? What did he want? But Derek was anxious about jumping right into that. It was new to him, this was new to him, _Chloe_ was new to him. What exactly was he supposed to say? Where could he possibly start?

An apology maybe?

"I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry I upset you last night-"

"You could clearly see that I was upset," Chloe interjected, suddenly fuming with heated frustration once again, meaning Derek hadn't taken the necessary step to putting both of them on the same page. "Last night, I needed your help, your advice, but, instead, you made me feel like everything was my fault, though you could clearly see how upset I was, how bad I felt."

"Chloe, I was confused and I'm sorry. I was stuck between you being upset and my brother and I couldn't pick a side because of how mistaken I was. Part of me didn't want that to happen, between you and Simon, I wanted everything to go well, but-" Derek paused, watching as Chloe's tension slowly ebbed and her eyes widened with a questionable, _'What are you saying,'_ expression, presenting him with as good as opportunity as ever. And the moment was so similar to that of the morning Liam had advanced on Chloe. The compelling draw that her aura had on him screamed that he wasn't close enough. He wanted to be closer, he wanted to touch her, he wanted to pull her against him, he wanted her.

Derek stepped closer, reaching for her, mouth opening to spill once and for all something that was no longer avoidable. He-

"Ahem." Chloe jumped a literal foot in the air, having been concentrating on what Derek was about to say that the sudden expectant clearing of someone's throat was like a slingshot rocketing them both back into reality. Derek merely closed his eyes in aggravation and dropped his hand. He turned to be greeted by the secretary of the front office, looking particularly more bitchy and framably more skanky than the first day Derek laid eyes on her, because this time, she was interrupting something of extreme importance.

Seeing the accomplishment in her eyes that were sinking back into her leering, wrinkled face, Derek knew she had done it intentionally.

"Get to class, you two," she stated in a rather snobbish tone.

Derek gave a curt nod of acknowledgment, then glanced back at Chloe, again trying to say some-

There was an incessant tapping of a point hitting linoleum, causing Derek to, once again, peel his eyes away from Chloe and note that the secretary was impatiently tapping her heel against the floor. He sent her a halfhearted glare, the effort wasted on the immature woman.

"We'll talk later. After the game, okay, Chloe," Derek asked- pleaded- with the small girl before him and found himself thoroughly relieved that she nodded in agreement without the slightest hesitation.

With a scowl that asked, _'Happy now,'_ Derek pivoted around the secretary, and trekked the rest of the hall, cursing all bitchy receptionists and his own bad luck.

* * *

The game was long winded and overrated. And if Derek didn't think it was possible for the overly prepped students to be louder, to be more enthusiastic, to be more disillusioned about what life was truly like, then he had been played as a fool.

The band filled the entire stadium with wrong notes and disastrous pitches, surprisingly octaves higher than the bubbly cheerleaders who bounced up and down the length of the bleachers. Though, Derek had to admit that Liz looked particularly more level-headed and genuinely real than the other plastics of the high school society. Possibly because she has been around quite a bit as her and Tori never seemed to take a break, and Derek knew her more personally, not to make petty assumptions about her.

Though the idea was laughable, Derek couldn't honestly say by first glance that all cheerleaders were bitchy and dishonest- oh, who was he kidding? Liz looked about to be the only one with a promising and real future, where the rest of her horde of peppy bandits were more than likely to wind up like the front office receptionist. Desperate to contain youth with a maturity level that will never expand. They will be stuck in high school for the rest of their lives.

Derek blamed his current irritation solely on the secretary; he wasn't trying to sound like a sexist, judgmental jerk.

Also he found himself to be a tad more frustrated and on edge than usual. And he knew it had something to do with Liam and the way he was playing the game tonight. The way he looked more confident, brutal, excited, hungry. His energy was bothering Derek in ways that almost seemed mocking, pretentious.

And that edgy feeling didn't cease, as it had Derek wound tight and timid throughout the festivities.

By the time half-time rolled around, where the dance team took the spotlight in the middle of the stadium, Derek was surprised that he hadn't hit Liam yet. The look in his eyes as he watched the performance, eyes that only seemed to be trained on the fluid movements of a petite, blonde girl had Derek clenching and unclenching his fists, breaking two pencils and nearly the entire clipboard, clad with rosters, in his hands.

Once the game was finally over- over as in Buffalo completely annihilated Albany, though there was no surprise there, and Derek was hardly acknowledged by the audience rooting for his old team besides a few quick double takes, in which Derek could seriously care less- he handed off the clipboard to Andrew, who gave him a curt goodbye, always holding that sense of caution when addressing Derek, and he turned towards the campus, his target the gym and locker rooms, eager to get as far from Liam as possible.

He leaned against the old brick wall of Buffalo high just outside the locker rooms that led to the outdoor track; kitty-corner to the stadium. He crossed his arms, his sweatshirt keeping him warm against the frigid cold night as he waited for Chloe to emerge from the cement walls of what society liked to call, _'School.'_

Derek had hoped that, as the time passed in his wait, he would have more time to think about how he was going to re-approach his previous topic with Chloe, and more time to get over his suddenly escalated displeasure with Liam. But instead, Liam's behavior was all he could think about.

He pondered Liam's actions, his mannerisms for the night- which almost seemed to be his usual cocky, sick attitude only tenfold- as more and more players, cheerleaders, and dancers left the locker rooms. The parking lot across the street was slowly emptying as well, leaving Derek slightly more perturbed with each passing minute.

Where was Chloe?

After a good amount of time- fifteen minutes- the last swarm of the teams were shuffling out of the locker rooms and Derek caught sight of Rae.

"Rae," he called, using desperate measures as his patience was wearing unsurprisingly thin and his paranoia had long but settled. She turned to acknowledge her caller, but shot her brows up in disbelief when she discovered it to be Derek, before they narrowed into beady, brown slits.

"What do you want, Souza?"

Derek pushed away from the wall, taking a few steps towards her and ignoring the wary looks he was getting from her retreating companions.

"Is Chloe still in the locker room?"

"Why should I care," Rae sneered, confirming every judgment Derek had made about her. She was a bitch.

"Oh, I don't know, Rae. I just thought you were her friend, but I forgot about how much of a sellout you are." Her cheeks fumed a vicious red and her eyes flashed angrily. "Look, I figure you were the last out and you would have seen Chloe back there because she hasn't come out yet."

"Chloe wasn't even in the locker room. She never came. I figured she was off somewhere sucking face with you," Rae spat. "She can't get enough of you. No matter how much you two butt heads, she can't take a decent piece of advice and coordinate her own rationality. She has this crazy notion that you aren't-"

"Rae," Derek interjected. If anything, he found Rae's rant and insecurities comical, but at the moment, honestly, he was still questioning as to where Chloe was. If she wasn't in the locker room...

"Where's Chloe?"

"I already told you. I don't know and I don't care." She turned on her heal, catching up to who she had emerged from the locker room with. Amber and Brady.

"Brady?"

"Uh, yeah?" Brady stayed rooted, confused by Derek's forwardness to actually speak with him, obviously because he had never done it before. But Brady was the only one who could validate or demolish Derek's rising anxiety and apprehension.

"Where's Liam?"

**Please review with comments, concerns, and critic. Then journey to my profile and read the newest installment of the R.t.b.T. One-shot Series called, **_**The Mediations of a Predator.**_** This was supposed to be where the M rating would fall into play as it is in Liam's POV, and it fits between this chapter and chapter 16. **

**Because of my decision to pull the One-shot out of this story to keep it to Derek's POV, the rating is now T. But do not worry, I will most definitely make it worthy of the severely high T rating. :) **

**Don't forget to review!**


	16. Chapter 16 Demented Part 2

**Author's Note- Hello everyone!**

**First of all, thank you followers- readers and reviewers- you guys have no idea how much you make my day with your comments and concerns. I love all of you!**

**Which is why I have some big news and an idea I think you guys will enjoy. I posted it as an author's note at the end of this chapter. Please humor me and take time to read it. Because it's really, REALLY, important. I promise, it isn't anything like an excuse for a delay in update, but a surprise. You have to read it to find out, and hopefully, with everyone's participation, this will be HUGE!**

**Enjoy! Longer chapter- actually, like more than 4,000 words, you guys wanted it longer, so I made it longer- for this, all I ask is that you read the author's note. Please and thank you!**

* * *

_The most despicable of crimes is the destruction of innocence..._

**Chapter 16- Demented: Part 2**

"Last I saw Liam was back by the sidelines. He never came into the locker rooms," Brady stated. Uncomfortably at first, but his hotshot demeanor caught up with him and his lip curled in disdain. In a nutshell, the guy had a superiority complex, where he honestly thought he was better than everyone else. But Derek wasn't in a healthy mindset at the moment to care. Instead, Derek's eyes snapped back to Rae, gaze penetrating her with intense scrutiny.

"You're so worried about Chloe being around me? Why don't you get a clue, Rae," Derek snarled, hardly holding sympathy for the flash of concern in her dark eyes. It was too late for her to care; she blew it. To Derek, she had blown her chances a long time ago, but to Chloe, Derek knew this was the point where Rae had crossed a fine line called trust. She had seriously let someone she even dared to call her friend down, and yet, she has the audacity to look as if she sincerely _cared_?

"If Chloe gets hurt because of your petty, self absorbed attitude, which, believe me, wouldn't be the first time, I'll never let you live it down. It's your own fault that Chloe's stuck with me in class, and now, it's your fault that there's a chance of her being in trouble. Now tell me that you don't care." With that- which felt so much more satisfying to Derek, in his current internal storm of fear and worry, than throwing the selfish bitch into the campus walls, as Derek had been so close to actually doing- he shoved passed her, careful not to throw his weight into her that much, and pressed at quick stride back to the stadium.

Chloe hadn't gone to the locker rooms, neither had Liam. Derek would have dared to hope that Liam was off in the parking lot, flocking some other girls and inviting them to an inevitable after party while Chloe had just decided that she was through with Derek and had gone home, if he had not known better- regretfully and fearfully- he did know better. That was not the case.

He knew perfectly well the possibilities of the situation, the capabilities of the two of them, where Liam's seriously out-matched Chloe's. Derek's instincts screamed these realities at him, pushing him harder in his frantic search and to catch up to Chloe before it was too late.

What if something happens? What if Liam hurts her?

No, Liam would hurt her. That much was obvious and it took Derek everything he had not to be blinded by fear, concern, and rage.

The real question was what if he was already too late?

Liam's behavior, his chauvinistic aura of cocky confidence and knowing suddenly made sense. He was planning this; he had it planned all night. But, what didn't add up was why Liam would risk it.

He had to know that Derek wouldn't just up and leave without knowing where Chloe was, knowing whether she was safe or not. He had to know that once Derek found him, which he would, that Derek wasn't going to just walk away without confrontation.

Did he truly believe he could have his way before Derek even showed up? What if he had? Derek hadn't seen any sight of Chloe in nearly a half an hour since the game had ended.

Derek clenched his teeth, his fingers balled into tight fists until his knuckles went numb, his legs pushed faster, harder, as he crossed the field of the stadium, desperately searching the stands. All in vain, as there was no sign of life among the filthy bleachers; this should have already been apparent. What sick predator attacks in the open?

Derek jogged around the grand bleachers, carefully trailing around the perimeter, eyes scanning the shadows under the stands with no luck. It was at this point that Derek's fear and apprehension were beginning to overwhelm his focus. He needed to shove it back and use the momentum of the extra energy to think. Where could she-

It was then that Derek heard something he never wanted to hear again. The sound was wrong, juvenile, unnatural. A sound like that shouldn't exist, it shouldn't have been released. The sound sent chilling vibrations down Derek's spine; indescribable vexation and loathing was born from the rocketing speed of his heart.

It was a sound of terror, a sound of agony in a sense of turmoil and pain. It was a sound of ragged incapability, forced, inhumane.

It was the sound of Chloe screaming.

It didn't matter that Derek's mind had all but gone dead, his thoughts rendered incoherent. It didn't matter that his heart was now in his throat or that his blood had run cold or that he suddenly had the intuition to obliterate the perpetrator behind the birth of that sound. All that mattered was that he found the owner of the horrid, heart-wrenching, gut-twisting, acidic-tasting sound, and do anything in his power to make it stop; to silence it, make it stop- hurting.

Honestly, Derek couldn't recall having made the decision to follow the sound of Chloe's cries- hell, he couldn't remember making the decision to move. But, he knew that she was close.

Derek was crossing the back of the stands, catching sight of a large silhouette standing against the rear wall of the bathroom facility.

He couldn't remember his exact approach, or the push that sent him over an edge on an entirely different level than the sight of Simon being cornered by an armed offender. All he could remember was Liam holding Chloe against that wall, head dipped into her neck and Chloe's clenched jaw as she held in more screams, her eyes shut tight, hardly holding back the river of tears streaming down her cheeks, and her wiggling form as she squirmed beneath Liam's assaulting figure.

She whimpered through clenched teeth.

Derek had a hold of Liam in an instant, grabbing a fistful of his under armor, instantly ripping him away from Chloe. She gasped and choked back a cry caused by Liam's rough detachment, eyes squeezing tighter as she slid down the wall to the ground, now free hands flying to her neck where Liam had previously occupied.

This pained action blinded Derek all the more. His vision tunneled, blood now boiling at unnatural temperatures, mind checking out. The animal in his grasp, the creature, the _monster_, he wanted to hurt him, punish him for even _looking_ at Chloe, let alone causing her physical pain and emotional trauma.

Liam lifted easily, merely a scrawny teenager compared to Derek. He yanked him, flicking his wrist in a manner to throw Liam against the ground as hard as he could. However, though this scene was too familiar, too coincidental for Derek to even fathom the outcome without _knowing_ that he _wanted_ it, something was off. Something was different.

It was Liam's expression. Whereas the kid who had threatened Simon had been caught by surprise then overcome by fear, Liam was simply surprised by the sudden unsuspecting movement before he met Derek's eyes and a sick smirk played with his lips, a sense of knowing flashed in his eyes. Derek's resolve faltered, filling him with suspicion.

"Derek!"

Chloe's voice snapped Derek from his trance, in which he was consumed by rage that suddenly unsettled him. Derek checked himself at the last second, throwing Liam down with a velocity where he could hit, but not as hard as Derek desired. Liam crashed against the ground, his arm and cheek slamming against the gravel before he rolled with the rest of the momentum from which he was thrown.

Derek hardly cared to wait and see if he would get up. He internally wished that Liam never would. Instead he instantly turned back to Chloe, catching her eyes as they filled with so many emotions; it wouldn't surprise Derek if she dropped everything and simply broke down. But she didn't, as relief became the dominant of all those emotions.

He knelt in front of her, mind still reeling from hostility, fighting the effort to turn on Liam and pummel him into the ground. He was using Chloe as a distraction, lightly grabbing her elbow to help her up. As she stood she tugged at her uniform, covering as much exposed skin as possible. When she was on her feet, Derek stepped closer to access her body, marks left, displaced features, injuries. She was shaking so hard, Derek had to snake his arm around her waist to hold her upright. Her fingers found his sweatshirt, fisting up the fabric as she pulled herself even closer to him, cutting off Derek search, making him lock gazes with her.

"D-D-Derek," she whispered and it was the tone, the inflection that helped Derek understand that she wasn't tripping over her words and trembling with fear and anxiety. Her baby blue orbs were clear, sharp, yet the glass melted with relief as she took him in, meeting his eyes. She greedily came closer, if that were even possible at this point, holding no aura of shock or horror. She wasn't shaking. She was shivering. Her teeth chattered beneath her purpling lips.

She was cold.

"It's okay," Derek croaked, voice faltering at the knowledge that he hadn't finished inspecting her, and he knew that once he did he wasn't going to like what he found. With the limited space between them- Derek wasn't about the step away, the action would not be kind to him and he was sure at this point that it wouldn't be to Chloe either- he let his eyes trail over her body, hardly catching anything out of place. Of course, he was purposefully avoiding her neck and actually asking her if Liam had touched her anywhere else.

But he couldn't keep passing over the reality and his eyes finally flickered to Chloe's neck. He inhaled sharply, attempting to make it deep and controlled, and his hold tightened around Chloe's waist. There, as clear as day, though it was late evening and dark, just between her throat and her shoulder, her skin was beginning to swell, the flesh appearing ragged and gnawed as if Liam had...

Derek exhaled as slowly as possible, forcing himself to catch Chloe's eyes again in order to calm himself. He didn't know why but he was sure that it helped.

"Did he touch- did he do-" Derek cut off, losing confidence in his own voice, his own stability. But Chloe knew where he was going and she shook her head firmly, keeping complete eye contact with him, silently telling him that she was okay. Because he was the one who needed the confirmation, not her.

Suddenly, nothing was helping as the mark that would forever scar Chloe was beginning to torture him. Something akin to a growl escaped Derek's lips and he turned, prying Chloe's hand from his shirt and pulling her behind him, becoming a permanent wall between her and Liam. But when Derek faced said boy's direction, he wasn't there.

Derek scanned their surroundings; vision completely adjusted and trained to catch anything in their limited light. His suspicions were rising, not too sure if Liam's lack in presence was a good or bad thing. Would Liam just flea without a fight? Derek highly doubted that.

"H-He's g-g-gone," Chloe questioned, peaking around Derek anxiously. His large hand tightened over her small shaking fingers before releasing and facing her. His eyes were still hard and edgy, like sea-green glass, nearly glowing with hostility in the dark.

"Don't know, but we're not sticking around to find out. We need to get you out of the cold." He searched her momentarily, brows scrunching together in question. "Where's your jacket?"

Chloe shrugged and wrapped her arms around herself, looking to be internally debating something before she winced, causing Derek to do so as well.

"L-Liam- h-he t-t-t-" She stopped speaking- or chattering- as she watched Derek pull of his sweatshirt.

"Here, you're freezing. This will help until we get you somewhere warm."

"A-A-Are you s-sure? Y-You-"

"Chloe, I'm fine. I'm bigger, I can hold more heat than you."

"I-I was going t-to say t-that you won't e-ever g-g-get it back."

Derek couldn't fight the slight twitch of his lips. He rolled up the dark sweatshirt and pushed it over Chloe's head. He released Chloe's hair from the containment of his shirt, marveling in the soft texture as it slid through his fingers, while Chloe pushed her arms through the sleeves. She wasn't even close to filling the mass of suffocating fabric. It was just too big.

"W-What," Chloe asked, catching Derek's surveying gaze.

"Flattering," he stated flatly, still receiving unstable brainwaves of animosity, though notably calming down. But really, even though he got a scowl from Chloe at the comment, she really had no idea how much he meant it. He never wanted that sweatshirt back, for selfish reasons.

"Where's your car? I'm taking you home," Derek said after a minute, distracting himself from the sight of Chloe in his clothing. She still needed to be tended to, taken care of, guaranteed safety. Actually, they were all his own needs, but it was true nonetheless. Unfortunately, Chloe shook her head.

"My a-aunt dropped m-me off. I figured I-I would be a little late a-after the game, so I-I told her I w-would call when I n-needed to be p-picked up."

Her cold induced stuttering was better, which meant she wasn't freezing anymore. That only solved one of Derek's problems. Chloe didn't have a straight shot home and he had taken his jog as his transportation to the game.

"We'll have to call a cab," Derek stated, allowing Chloe to think about it for a second before she nodded in agreement.

* * *

The cab proclaimed a mere ten minute wait. It wasn't hard to get service in the suburbs, unlike in the city, when flagging down cabs was meant to be left to the professionals. It was the payroll that was impossible; escalating at an unreasonable rate by each mile. But, if it meant a sure, safe way, where Derek knew for certain that Chloe was getting home, secluded from the horrible big, bad world, then Derek had no complaints.

They sat against the bike racks in the front of the school, waiting in a heavy, tension filled silence. Each of Chloe's movements, whether they be her using the sleeve of _his_ sweatshirt to clear away any sign of tears- dry or not- from her face, or a flinch at the slightest stretch of the skin that lined her raped neck, all continuously reminded Derek of what had almost happened. What could have happened.

What didn't happen.

His anger, his rage, was now encouraging his suspicions of how easily they had gotten away, how easily Liam had gotten away. It was almost too convenient that the entire situation, as disturbing and upsetting as it was, had blown over so anti-climatically, or unexpectedly was probably a better word for it. Surely Liam didn't get everything that he had wanted out of this, because it was prudent as to what Liam wanted of Chloe.

So why was _this_ their outcome? Here, standing among the bike racks, quiet and calm, where Derek was standing at a proximity that dared him to step closer. And when Chloe shuddered, huddling herself deeper into his sweatshirt as a biting wind blew across them, he did, using his own body as a cloak over Chloe's, sheltering her from the intruding cold. Derek needed her to remain as collected and comfortable as possible, because her lack of shock- which, ironically in itself was surprising- was the only thing keeping Derek sane as they stood there.

She acted alright, and, besides the wound on her neck, she looked alright. She _was_ alright, and really, as of this moment, the idea calmed Derek.

Chloe glanced up at him, eyes slowly dawning on his, flashing in a light that expressed just how relieved and grateful she was that it was he standing before her and not anyone else. Not a poor example of a friend, like Rae. Not Simon. Definitely not Liam.

Just him, and Derek wondered if she wouldn't have it any other way, if it was truly him that she wanted. That had been Derek's true intentions of this night, of what should have happened tonight. They should have met up, as he had planned, and talked. Talked about anything. Talked about everything. And maybe, just maybe, Derek would have been able to see what Simon saw, what Rae- resentfully- saw, what he had been hoping to see for a long time now.

But that didn't happen, and wouldn't happen. Not tonight. After what had really taken place, Derek wouldn't even dare to bring himself to ride that emotional rollercoaster. Not after what she had been through. Not after what he had been through. It would be selfish, insensitive, rushed. It needed time, and, by the way Chloe was silently sending him all her gratitude, all her thanks, her trust- which was more than what Derek could ever ask for- with her eyes, Derek felt as if it was safe to assume that that was what they had. Time.

A disrupting honk caused the both of them to jump; jumping apart where Derek noticed that they had been so much closer than they had a moment before.

"C-Cab is h-here," Chloe stammered quietly, and this time, Derek knew she was stuttering from nerves and surprise instead of the cold. The idea made his heart skip a beat and eradicate. Was the shock finally setting in, or was it because of their previous propinquity? Derek truly hoped it was the latter.

He placed his hand on the small of her back, hesitantly, and slowly guided her to the predictably yellow vehicle. They climbed into the backseat, greeted by a shabby looking foreigner who said a polite, _'Hello'_ in a heavy accent.

_How stereotypical_, Derek mused to himself. Just like the front office secretary.

"Address," the cab driver questioned, glancing back at them through the rearview mirror. I turned to Chloe, hoping she felt okay, good enough to speak.

"Dawsonwood Boulevard, please," Chloe said in a small quiet voice that made Derek flinch at the fragility of the sound. As the cab driver nodded and started to punch the street name into his system Chloe turned back to Derek, almost shifting in order to face him entirely. She winced and Derek caught the sight contraction of her scathed neck.

Sure, the anger had subsided. The worry and concern, they were still there and Derek knew that they would remain for a while. It was the guilt that attacked him at this point. The swollenness of her skin refused to calm and continued to look as if Chloe had been jumped by one of those cheesy, dressed up zombies in those movies she loved so much.

"God," Derek breathed. "If I had been there sooner, if I hadn't been so stupid and thoughtless, this wouldn't have happ-"

"Derek, please," Chloe snapped, but she softened, weakened. "This wasn't your fault. Just, please, please don't." She begged him quietly with her hypnotizing eyes, pleading with him not to put this upon himself. But how could he not? Though Liam's intentions had been clear since the day he had met him, Derek had given him the opportunity, and Chloe paid for it.

Bitten and scarred.

Again, Derek's gaze took to her throat, thankful that the broken skin hadn't been cut to deep for bloodshed, but wincing at how painful it looked, not just physically, but emotionally, psychologically.

Without having realized it, Derek was reaching for her, fingers slowly gliding their way to her skin, as if hoping to soothe it away, permanently, by some miracle, rid the mark- Liam's mark- from her flawless skin.

Derek froze, catching Chloe's eyes as she watched him carefully. How could he be so selfish? No matter how small this step would be, it was still too forward, too abrupt- so _damn_ selfish- and she didn't need that. Not now. She didn't need Derek tugging on her emotional state with his erratic, complicated feelings. Not after tonight. Surely it would scare her, finally allowing her to lapse into that shock that Derek was only internally willing to be kept at a distance. He drew back, giving her an apologetic frown.

She caught his hand, taking Derek by surprise. His eyes flashed between her hand grabbing at his wrist and back to her blue orbs with disbelief and question. But hers remained calm, nearly unreadable, as if willing him to keep their gaze, locked and secure and unyielding. Slowly, she pulled his fingers back towards her, allowing them to graze against her cheek instead of his earlier intention to tend to her neck. Derek inhaled sharply as his fingertips brushed the soft, warm skin of her face, gently treading over her jaw, where Chloe no longer moved for him but he did so on his own, cupping her cheek as he held her eyes. Almost as if he had promised to, he wouldn't- couldn't- look away.

Her own fingers slid up the back of his hand, fitting themselves in between his, keeping his hold caged there. Derek's gaze softened and he relaxed, relishing in the numbing effect that the touch of Chloe's skin sent through his entire body, mesmerized by the small smile she sent him.

But, God, what the hell did _this_ mean?

He knew what it was to him. The fluttering of his chest, the twisting of his stomach, the slight hint of anxious trembling, the reeling of his mind...

Derek wanted Chloe, more than she would ever know or ever understand.

She was right for him, made for him.

Chloe's smile weakened, seeming a little hesitant as she debated something. As if making up her mind, she tugged on his hand, pulling it over her shoulder while she simultaneously clicked her seat belt apart.

"Chloe," Derek warned, not to comfortable about the idea of Chloe removing herself from her seatbelt. He had nearly forgotten that they were in a cab. He glanced up at the driver, who seemed to be paying them no mind, rather forcefully though.

"Ssshh," Chloe hushed, catching Derek's attention once again. Pulling herself free of the belt, she slowly slid across the seat and Derek watched with wide eyes as she shuffled herself into his side. She had tugged his entire arm over her shoulder before releasing it and tucking herself closer into him, resting her head against his shoulder, just as she had on the bus a week ago.

He was still for a moment, shocked by what had just happened, by Chloe, small, quiet little Chloe, who had practically made the first move that pushed them into _something_. _That_ _something_ that Derek had wanted for a long time.

"Thank you," she whispered, her frame finally falling still against his, sending vibrant waves of God knows what into him and sending his heart beat into a fit of hysterics. He was slow to react, or comprehend really, but once everything finally clicked, depicting that this was what Chloe wanted, because this had been her move, her choice, Derek released all his tension and draped his arm over her shoulders, pulling her tighter against him. She hummed a silent contentment that Derek almost missed but was so glad that he didn't.

He murmured a soft, "Yeah," and dragged his large hand up and down her tiny arm, still confined in his shirt. He couldn't fight the relieved and- happy? Joyous? Something like that, but it came out in a smile. One Derek felt grow across his face, knowing that it made him look like a complete idiot. But he didn't care.

He and Chloe had something. They had a chance. Derek knew what he wanted, and Chloe made it clear what she wanted. They-

"Ahem," the driver cleared his throat, slamming Derek back into the cab, the world, the reality. He caught the driver glancing nervously at them through the rearview mirror. "House number?"

"It's the second on the left," Chloe said, shifting against Derek to sit up properly as the cab driver pulled up along the side of her house. The curb appeal wasn't much different from that of Derek's house, but what could you really expect in the suburbs? Of course, Derek could also presume that this was her aunt's house, not entirely her regular living headquarters. And Derek knew, that in time, he would know where it was that her and her father resided, because they had that time. He had that chance to know more about Chloe than he knew now.

Still, Derek silently brooded at the loss of the moment and stepped out of the car, holding it open for Chloe and informing the cab driver that he would be right back.

"I know you need a ride home, but I'm not letting you pay for this," Chloe said in amusement, pulling up her right leg and reaching into her white sneaker. Money? In her shoes?

"Chloe, the till is over fifty. I've got it."

"No, really, it's okay. It's on my dad," she smirked, her aura ten times lighter than the moment they had stepped into the cab. She pulled a bill from her shoe and reached through the passenger window to hand it to the driver. When she murmured a quick, "This should cover his ride home also," Derek was sure it had to be a hundred. He lived all the way back by the school. When she turned back to him, he raised a speculative brow.

"Emergencies? You keep your emergency money in your shoe," he asked flatly. "And I really didn't need-"

"It's no big deal," Chloe shrugged. "What else am I going to spend it on? A purse?"

"If Tori saw you with that kind of money, she'd be-"

"Asking me what street corner I was working on," Chloe snickered, but Derek scowled. That was not what he was about to say. "Yeah, I had the pleasure of meeting your sister a few weeks ago. Real ray of sunshine, that one, but I think I'm growing on her."

When was Chloe spending all this time with those close to him and not nearly as much with him? Simon, Tori, talking with his dad on the phone?

That was really going to have to change.

"Come on. I'll walk you to the door," Derek rumbled, again placing his hand on the small of her back, almost tempted to slide his arm all the way around her waist. She nodded, a hint of pink touching her cheeks. But it was too dark. For all he knew, Derek could be imagining it.

To Derek's displeasure, it wasn't that much of a walk, and it was a silent one.

When they reached the door Chloe turned to him, causing his fingers to glide along her hips in the process. Deciding that they had had enough contact for one night- mostly in fear that he was about to do something they both weren't quite ready for- Derek stuffed his hands into his pockets, but he refused to step back.

"Derek-"

"You'll be okay? Tonight, I mean?" She paused for a moment, taking in his interruption before answering.

"Yes- thanks to you," she added with a small, grateful, happy smile. Derek nodded.

"I'll see you at school tomorrow."

"Yeah," Chloe whispered.

"Good." And this time, Derek returned her smile. Permitting himself one last thing, he freed his hands and reached for her face again without the hesitation he had in the cab. He lightly brushed her hair from her face, feeling her cheeks burn beneath his fingertips.

"See you tomorrow."

Without waiting for her to reply or react, Derek started back towards the cab, heavily anticipating where the next day would place the both of them.

**Alasyn of Crimson Amethyst-**

**Thank you for taking time to read this. I hope, that with everyone's participation, this idea will go down without a hitch. **

**So, here is my proposal. As ****Rumored to be True ****is coming to an end- I know, I'm actually a little bummed, but at the same time, I'm really stoked. I'm finally going to finish something!- I've decided to create a commission along with my partner in crime and co-commissioner, **_**Lauren (Lauren94).**_

**First, let me explain what this commission is exactly. The idea is to create a connection between fanfiction and facebook. Now, who here has a facebook? Like everyone, right? Well, I've created a page, under **_**Alasyn Lauren,**_** dedicated to not only our fics, but fanfiction as a whole. It's a page created for sharing, a chance for readers and writers to connect, to discuss, critic, question, and opinionate on updates and publicize fics.**

**On top of everyone having a chance to comment and post whatever they wish on our wall- affiliated with fanfiction that is- Lauren and I will have daily posts and updates on our fics- i.e. ****Rumored to be True ****and ****Perfect DPOV****- not to mention references, quotes, contests, and fanart.**

**As for the commission- I've decided to give my writing to the service of One-shots for now. Rumored to be True will be my last continuous fic for a while as I concentrate on challenging myself with different prompts and ideas that are requested by YOU. Whether you guys have any ideas associated with**** R.t.b.T. One-shot Series****, or would like a regular Darkest Powers One-shot, is completely up to you. All requests are taken into consideration and most will be given as payments.**

**The plan? Find us on facebook. When looking for friends, simply type in **_**Alasyn Lauren,**_** and friend us or like our page. If you are uncomfortable using your real account, create one using your fanfiction penname. This makes it easier for Lauren and I to appropriately credit our payments anyways.**

**Leave a comment on our wall, give us a shout out, let us know you're following. **_**Always sign a post with your fanfiction penname!**_

**Check our status and page often- seriously, how many of you guys are on facebook, like, ten times a day?- for posts on just about anything. Send us messages with requests or ideas to improve the page.**

_**The first ten people to friend us on facebook will be entered in a drawing to win a One-shot of their choice- for now, associated with the Darkest Powers Series!**_

**I'll update in a week with the next chapter. Or sooner, depending on the reaction to not only the chapter, but the commission as well.**

**Help us start this commission guys, we really need your participation to make it work!**

**Please don't forget to review with comments and/ or critic!**

**Thanks, with kisses and hugs!**

_**Alasyn and Lauren.**_


	17. Chapter 17 Checkmate

**Author's Note- Hey guys!**

**Thanks so much to everyone who has added Lauren and I as a friend on facebook and started to leave posts on our wall. We are off to a great start, but it's not good enough yet. We need more friends! If you aren't comfortable using your own profile, don't sweat it. We understand. That's why we aren't even using our own profiles. Make a new one, and be sure to always sign with your fanfiction penname.**

**For those who were entered to win the One-shot, I have a winner.**

**Aria Soul.**

**She actually made a small fanart piece of orphan Derek from the _R.t.b.T. One-shot Series, The Intentionally Forgotten_, and it's adorable. She gave us a good reason to pay her a One-shot. I will get started on it right away, girl!**

**Thanks readers and reviewers. I had a few questions as to how many chapters are left. Not including this one, I'm thinking 3. I'd hate to leave this story on an odd number of chapters- because I'm weird like that- and 18 doesn't seem like enough for the ending I have in mind. So 20 chapters total. Does that seem fair?**

**Enjoy guys!**

* * *

_Bad things happen to good people… while I'm worried about her well being I can't help but wonder about my own…_

**Chapter 17- Checkmate**

The halls of Buffalo High were a buzz of excitement and chatter, relishing into everlasting victory of the previous night's football game and chanting at the idea of taking state another year running. The leadership club had already destroyed the perfectly crisp brick walls of the school with even more colorful posters in simple congratulations. Couldn't they just give it a rest?

Truthfully, Derek would be lying if this was what was really on his mind. In fact, the colors were kind of nice. Brighter today for reasons he wished to keep to himself. Instead of looking like vomit on walls, it looked familiar, homey, as if he couldn't be anywhere else but Buffalo High School with these walls to define it. He wouldn't feel this light in any other high school, because just any other high school didn't have Chloe.

Derek spotted her legs from beneath the door of her locker and smirked. She was so small, she was nearly completely hidden behind the medal door of a top locker. She was preoccupied with whatever it was she needed from inside, unaware of his approach and he leaned against the locker beside hers, waiting for her to close it and most likely jump from him sneaking up on her. As much fun as it was to witness Chloe's skittishness, it was getting to be pretty ridiculous. You would think the girl would learn by now.

She closed her locker, and of course, yelped and jerked away from him. All too predictable. But it wasn't really for kicks to scare her. He knew either way that he would, so there wasn't really a point in trying not to. He just wished she was less startled all the time. Especially today. Especially after what happened last night.

She glared at him with a notable hint of mischief in her blue eyes. Blue eyes that were ringed with dark circles.

"You really enjoy doing that, don't you?"

"Sometimes," Derek rumbled, keeping a serious gaze with her as her tired features began to unsettle him. How had she been last night?

He sure as hell knew he didn't get any sleep, because he was worrying about her not getting any sleep.

He lifted his hand to her face, taking note of the way her breath hitched as he did. Was this still okay? Was him touching her still aloud? Was there still that _something_ between them that had been there the night before? Or had so much happened that Chloe had been acting as if to cope, to deal, and Derek was the only one there to comfort her, no matter the lack of comfort he was capable of?

When he brushed his fingertips against her cheek, intentionally dragging his thumb along the dark ring beneath her eye, he felt as if his fingers would singe and fall to the floor, rendered useless at how powerful the electricity was between them. At least to him.

Chloe sighed, tilting her head into his touch, a small smile played with her lips. Maybe, just maybe…

"You didn't sleep well." It wasn't a question. He knew the answer, she knew it too. It was a statement of truth, a demand of confirmation.

"I was worried about you."

_What_, Derek started, perplexed eyes catching Chloe's.

"Why would you be worried about me? I wasn't the one attached last night. I'm not the one being stalked by a psychotic-"

"Not helping, Derek," Chloe said flatly. And she was right, but so was he.

"You don't need to be worried about me. You need to take care of yourself," Derek huffed, slightly miffed that she couldn't detach herself from the cornered cat phase of actually being cornered. She really shouldn't have to worry about appearing trapped or not. But still, she had to know some way to fight back. Maybe, in the future, Derek could help her with that.

"Derek, it's really kind of funny how often you contradict yourself. Yes, what happened happened. But it happened to both of us. Don't think I didn't see how-"

"How worried I was," Derek asked, his voice rising only just as it seemed to always do when he wanted to get a point across Chloe. "How concerned and scared I was? How much I actually wanted to hurt him because of what he did to you? I know you saw that, or else you wouldn't have stopped me from repeating what happened back in Albany."

"You wouldn't have. You checked yourself," Chloe defended softly. They remained quiet for a moment, using each other to calm reoccurring tension.

"What are we going to do about it anyways," Chloe asked after a minute in a tone that doubted there was anything to be done. "Do you think we can tell a teacher, the school's security-" She stopped, seeing the look on Derek's face.

"Chloe, you've heard the rumors about me at this school. The teachers aren't any better than the students. You see the way they look at me, twisting what really happened in their own minds because of my appearance. I _look_ like the kind of guy who would pick a fight-"

"But you're not-"

"They don't believe that," Derek said sharply, spitefully. "For all I know, a teacher can take anything I say and make it look like I'm setting Liam up for something I did."

"But I'm the witness, the victim. They'll have to believe me," Chloe interjected, always the optimist. Derek shook his head.

"How do they know that I didn't just threaten you into some master plot against Liam-"

"You have an objection to everything, don't you?" Derek rolled his eyes and sighed, running his hand through his hair. It really was no use, it simply fell back into his eyes. He was due for another haircut.

"I'm just trying to take everything into consideration. I doubt the teachers or anyone from administration will help us. Not with my record, and definitely not with Liam's."

"What about Coach Carson? Andrew, right? You guys have history. He would have to take you seriously, at least with a bias that's more on your side than Liam's," Chloe added hopefully. She let him turn the idea around in his head for a moment. It really wasn't a bad idea. Andrew had experience with Liam's behavior and attitude. He had experience with Chloe, not only at the games, but in class as well. And most importantly, he had experience with Derek. Though Andrew was cautious around him, he _knew_ Derek. He's been around ever since Derek's dad had adopted him, up until they had to move and go separate ways. In conclusion, Andrew had a great deal of knowledge about each of them. His assistance would be the most logical to achieve at this point.

"Right," Derek nodded after a moment, then nodded more firmly and caught Chloe's gaze. "Right. How do you feel about skipping first hour to talk to Andrew?"

"Skipping math? I'd say you're my hero, but that would be a little redundant," Chloe mocked, earning a small snort from Derek.

"I thought you took Algebra in fourth hour." Chloe suddenly blushed a deep red and averted her eyes, making Derek wonder what was so embarrassing.

"W-Well, yeah, a-actually, I-I have two m-math classes."

"Why," Derek mused. From the look on her face when Derek had asked her to skip it, he could only presume that she didn't like the subject that much. On the complete opposite scale as Derek, but he didn't mind too much. Not everyone could share his love for math.

"I f-failed the geometry requirement l-last year," Chloe said in a rush, hanging her head and allowing her bright, strawberry-blonde locks to curtain her crimson face.

"Geometry," Derek chuckled, taken by surprise that anyone could fail such an easy subject. In fact, geometry was so easy, even Derek disliked it. Chloe's head snapped up, giving Derek a heated glare.

"Look, I'm not a genius when it comes to math, alright? In fact, math is about as wasted on me as the two years of Spanish I took. My brain can't register different languages, it's just not capable," she fumed.

"Sure it can," Derek shrugged. "You seem to comprehend Shakespeare and the movie industry just fine."

"True," Chloe said after a moment then smirked. "I guess that makes us even."

"What makes you think that?" She gave him a skeptical look.

"I've seen your writing, Derek. For a senior, you're looking at a seventh grade reading level."

"Chloe, you should have taken Algebra back_ in_ the seventh grade. You really have no room to talk." She was right though, Derek sucked at English and writing.

"Neither do you," Chloe stated stubbornly, her lips twitching ever so slightly in victory. Why though? They had both lost this little duel. Derek shook his head, again wishing that things would begin to be more and more like this between them. Easy. Not necessarily effortless, but a lot better.

"Come on, Saunders," Derek said with a serious face, but still a tone of humor. As much humor as it could hold that is. He grabbed her messenger bag from her hands, finding that it might be polite and he wanted to establish more in their relationship- whatever the hell it was at this point- and swung it over his shoulder, along with his own backpack. Chloe gave him a perplexed look and he merely nodded in the direction towards the opposite end of the school, towards the gym. "Let's go talk to Andrew."

"Yeah," Chloe nodded. "Yeah, let's get this over with."

Derek started down the hall, taking smaller steps so that Chloe's short legs could keep up with his. They were quiet now, but it seemed to be because of the determined edge the both of them had taken in their shared desire to get rid of Liam. Still, halfway down the hall, as they filtered through the crowd of jittery students who no longer paid Derek that much attention anymore, he felt Chloe's knuckles brush against his own. Just as they had done during the last away game before they had gotten onto the bus. Just as they had done back when Derek was conflicted and honestly believed that Chloe belonged with Simon.

Only this time, he did something he didn't do when it had happened before.

He brushed her fingers back, whether her first movement had been intentional or not, before reaching for her hand entirely, taking it firmly in his. He didn't know how or why he did it. Sure he knew why, but he didn't know why he had decided to do it. He just did, and he liked it. The secure feel of her palm against his. The warmth that resonated from her skin, enveloping his own hand. That familiar numbing sensation that prickled its way up his arm.

He glanced over at her, eyes questioning, as if asking her if this was okay. When he met her clear eyes though, he didn't feel the need to question it. They were vivacious and alight. Her hand squeezed his as she smiled brilliantly at him, earning one from Derek in return. He could feel his lips curl upwards, just as the fluttering in his chest turned into the solid, tantalizing thud of his heart. His stomach twisted and his insides felt alive as if they had minds of their own. He hadn't felt this since the day his dad had asked him if he had wanted to go home with him. Happy and terrified, all at the same time.

He never wanted to release it, not for anything in the world.

Derek looked away just in time. He had just been tugging Chloe around the corner in an effort to get to the gym, and he nearly barreled over someone who was just about his size. Derek halted immediately, barely catching himself before he could run them over. When he took note of who it was, he released all immediate tension born by instinct and exhaled.

"Andrew, I was just coming to-" Derek trailed off once he took in the man's features. His square shaped head was tilted, ever-so-slightly, to meet Derek's eyes head on, his own dark orbs hard with disappointment, that wariness no longer looked to be held back as it clawed at Derek's insides relentlessly, eating away at his joyful moment without a care.

"What is it," Derek asked, pulling his and Chloe's joined hand behind him to hide it from Andrew. Derek wasn't sure why, but he knew he didn't want Andrew to see it, as if it would make the sudden enmity in their gathering escalate, if Andrew's demeanor had anything to do with Derek in the first place.

Derek knew better when he was receiving a look like this, even if it was from Andrew. Something was wrong. Derek was in trouble.

"I need you to come with me- immediately," he added, his voice thick with anger and some form of knowing.

"Why? W-What's going on," Chloe piped up, taking a step into the dejecting waves that Andrew was giving off. Derek kept a tight hold of Chloe's hand, keeping them held behind his back in an effort to restrain Chloe. Whatever it was, Derek didn't really want Chloe involved in it. But the same questions were attaching Derek as he kept eye contact with Andrew.

What was going on?

Had something happened?

Was it Simon? Tori? His dad?

Did he do something?

"It's none of your concern Chloe and, no offense, it isn't any of your business either," Andrew said roughly before turning back to Derek. "My office, Derek. Let's go."

When neither of them moved Andrews eyes narrowed.

"Saunders, if you want to be involved in this then be prepared to be suspended and revoked from my creative writing course and placed into a study hall for extra time in those math courses you aren't doing too well in. I'm giving you one chance. Go to class," Andrew threatened, taking a side that Derek had never seen from him before. But Andrew's move was a the wrong one if he honestly thought he was going to get Chloe's co-dependency to act for her or her sweet, innocent nature to react, proving how little he knew of the girl. Her grip on Derek's hand tightened like a vice, informing him that she wasn't going anywhere, while her jarred teeth and stiff jaw were relying the message to Andrew.

But Derek wasn't going to allow her to involve herself no matter how stubborn she was.

"Chloe, go to class, okay?" He met her surprised eyes softly and meaningfully, trying to dissuade her apprehension. "I'll see you third hour," he said, giving her hand a light squeeze before letting it go, his mentality instantly unhappy with the loss.

She watched him for a moment, different things flitting through her baby blues in an internal battle. Finally she nodded, took her messenger bag from his shoulder, and turned down the hall they had come to her geometry class, with only one wary backwards glance.

Derek gave Andrew his attention again, wincing at the judgment he found in an old friend. But, honestly, Derek couldn't muster the old respect he had once held for Andrew. It must of died the moment he had threatened Chloe in such a trivial, petty way. Academically? Seriously? Chloe didn't give a rat's ass about her education when someone who held her best interest at heart was troubled. She would have had to of been bound and dragged from something like this if not for Derek's reassurances.

He felt accomplished in their current relationship to know that much about her when Derek doubted that even her father knew how to deal with her stubborn, kind heart.

But that feeling was, again, sucked away by the minor hostility in Andrew's aura.

"What is this about," Derek asked with as much control as he could gather.

"We'll discuss it in my office."

* * *

Derek followed Andrew to the gym, once again as empty as a ghost town, giving their echoed steps a torturing effect. Andrew didn't say a single word on their journey to his office and remained a few steps in front of Derek as if he had something to prove. He pulled his keys from his pocket, using agonizingly slow exaggeration in Derek's perspective as he weighed all the possibilities of this meeting through his head. If things blew over well, whatever the situation may be, maybe he would have his chance to approach the 'Liam situation' with a significantly calm Andrew.

For some reason, he doubted that outlook, having a feeling like he couldn't trust Andrew like he used to. And that suspicion was only proven accurate by the greeting Derek received once Andrew opened the door to his office.

Casually leaning against the side of Andrew's desk, in all his sickening glory, was Liam. His arms were crossed and there was a menacing twitch of his lips. His hair was pulled back neatly- more tidy than Derek had ever seen it- and the purpose was evident when Liam took notice of their approach.

Derek's heart dropped like a deadweight in his stomach, and his entire body went rigid upon realization as to _exactly _what was going on. Liam faced them, giving Derek a good look at the gnarly bruise on his cheek, and the scathed, tattered skin of his exposed arm. Inflictions of battle. They were wounds caused by Derek. Marks that screamed sense into him as the previous night replayed like a film loop in his head.

Liam had taken the risk, the hit, and it all made sense now.

He hadn't attacked Chloe for his own pleasure. It was a con, an act, a fluke.

He was framing Derek.

As soon as Andrew shut the door behind Derek, Liam's leering smirk vanished into a hard line, his eyes growing cold. A poker face. A fake face. Derek's blood began to pump at that disturbingly high temperature again. What did Liam say? How did he twist things? How was this going to turn out?

"Souza," Liam stated stoically in greeting. Derek's eyes narrowed. Two could play at this game.

"Malloy."

"Enough, boys," Andrew interjected as he pulled out his chair from behind his desk and gestured for the two of them to take their own seats. For a moment, everything was quite, and all Derek wanted to do was beat the hell out of Liam. This wasn't good. At all. If he had Andrew, someone who was supposed to be on Derek's side because they went far back, this high strung, this _convinced_ that Derek had done something seriously wrong, then Derek was screwed.

"From my understanding," Andrew began, keeping his weighted gaze on Derek. "You two got into some sort of farce. Liam admits to having said some things that may have provoked-"

"Bullshit," Derek muttered under his breath, crossing his arms and leaning back into his chair. It was official, he was definitely screwed.

"Excuse me? You mind repeating that, Derek? I'd think twice before speaking out like that, because I've seen your record, I know your story, and this isn't the first time you started picking fights with someone-"

"Yeah, Andrew. Because the last fight I was in wasn't justified at all," Derek snarled. "With Simon at the point of a knife what would you expect me to do? Bring the guy a bouquet of flowers and ask for a truce?"

"This isn't about Simon-"

"Of course it isn't. It's about my desire to hurt people isn't it? That's what it's always been about. Even this time, all I could think about was putting another guy in a wheelchair, as tempting as it sounds with someone like Liam, I'm not stupid. I'm not unstable. The situation was the same. Chloe was hurt and-"

"Now you want to bring Chloe into this," Andrew asked incredulously, causing Derek to begin shaking in absolute rage. There was no way Andrew was going to believe him. Whatever Liam told him, he was set, convinced. So why did Derek keep trying? Maybe he was hoping...

"Because Chloe was involved. Or did Liam forget to mention that," Derek spat, tossing Liam a sideways glance. Derek could clearly see past his unemotional facade, but he sure had Andrew going. His star player, his special case. For God's sake, Andrew didn't even like football. This was so messed up.

Andrew turned to Liam, eyes scanning over him expectantly.

"Was Chloe involved, Liam?" Liam shrugged.

"I didn't find it all that necessary to comment on her presence. Though, now that I think about it, she's probably how this whole fight started. I was asking Chloe out. Next thing I know, I'm in the air-"

"And I should have thrown you harder than I actually did. Maybe a few broken bones would knock some morals into that sick mind of yours," Derek growled, two seconds from jumping Liam so fast, Andrew wouldn't know if it was a teenage fight or a hurricane that hit his office.

"Derek, enough."

"No. Why don't you get Chloe's side of the story, since you don't believe me. I'm sure she'd be happy to show you the mark Liam left on her neck-"

"We're not involving Chloe any more than she already has been. This discussion is over. Liam," Andrew shot him a hard gaze. "You're free to go back to class. I'll send for you with your consequence for fighting on school grounds. Don't be surprised if you're suspended from the team and the state game."

"Yes, Coach," Liam said, then stood. Derek didn't look at him, knowing what he would see. That victorious smirk, that glint of thirst in his eyes, that nearly visible predatory aura radiating off his skin. It all made Derek's stomach squirm.

When the door closed, Andrew slumped back into his seat and sighed.

"What do you have to say for yourself, Derek?"

"Nothing," Derek said, keeping from making eye contact with Andrew, tightening his biceps as his arms were crossed as if closing in on himself to reject this indistinguishable hurt he felt. This wasn't just hurt. This was betrayal.

"You were all words just a moment ago," Andrew stated factually.

"A moment ago, I was still hoping you knew me enough to take this situation seriously," Derek hissed.

"I can't just give you special treatment because I was around as you grew up, Derek. Besides, I always figured I could expect something like this and I'm glad I'm able to catch it while it's still early."

Derek's eyes snapped to Andrew's in disbelief, that betrayal sinking into his heart like a butcher knife. That cautious look in Andrews eyes, the wariness that had always been there since Derek was young, this is what it was. Andrew always believing, that deep down, Derek was dangerous, unstable. Out of control.

Andrew's features were grim and knowing. As if Derek's record finally validated all his suspicions.

"With your father's reputation, I never put it past you to be effected by what you saw-"

"What are you talking about," Derek snapped. "Dad's record is clean, he's a fu-"

"I'm not talking about Kit," Andrew interrupted, pushing through Derek's ring of curses. "I'm talking about Zachary Cain, your biological father," Andrew stated carefully, hesitantly. Derek's fingers fisted until his knuckles turned white.

"You're going to compare me to a man I don't even remember?"

"It's not only that. The orphanage you were in wasn't the-"

"Enough," Derek growled, a little louder than he had originally intended, and he didn't miss the way Andrew flinched at his sudden outburst. As if Derek was going to attack him at any second. But Derek was sick of it, sick of everything, everyone. The way people looked at him. Until this point, he could have cared less. But to be accused by someone he used to trust of being dangerous and uncontrollable had broken the ice for Derek. He couldn't trust anyone. Especially someone who was practically forcing him to relive things he was trying to forget.

The dark closet at the orphanage, Davidoff's fingerprints implanted on his skin, screams and pleas he used to hear in his dreams.

He was done.

"I don't need to hear all of this. Not from you, Andrew. So just give me my punishment and let me call my dad. Suspension, expulsion, whatever. I don't care."

"No, Derek," Andrew said with a heavy sigh. A sigh of empathy, as if he regretted what he was about to say for not saying it sooner. For not saying it a very long time ago. He met Derek's eyes, pushing the world's judgment down on his shoulders.

"I've put in my request to have you home in Lyle house."

**Review guys, you know how happy they make me. ;) Happy President's day, and be sure to add Alasyn Lauren to your facebook friends lists!**


	18. Chapter 18 A Week Behind Bars

**Author's Note- I've been braced and glassed like I promised at the beginning of the month. My mouth hurts so much right now. :/ But I can see!**

**I finally figured out why this chapter wasn't working and why it was taking so long. I was trying to cram too much into it. So I cut it off where I feel is a good place to end and the next part is a good start for chapter 19. It's a bit rushed, but I'm satisfied with it.**

**Thanks you guys! I can't stress enough how much support you guys give me with your reviews and encouraging words. Those of you who are literally creating a forum out of the commission page, YOU GUYS are seriously amazing and I can't stop smiling, or writing. I already have three One-shot's lined up- two for the R.t.b.T One-shot Series and one in the original series of Darkest Powers. One of the R.t.b.T. One-shot Series shots is already up called _The Ponderations of a Victim_, but damn, I really have my work cut out for me… and I love it! **

**Join Lauren and I on facebook if you guys want in on this. Alasyn Lauren is our username.**

**Read _Love and War _guys. Very Chlerek, very fluffy. I assure you, it's an absolute love of mine now. My own work, me loving it, yeah, shocker, I know.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_Containment… Solitude… I think I'm going to throw up._

**Chapter 18- A Week Behind Bars**

"What? Derek slow down, I can't understand you. Just calm down already," Simon's voice roared on the other end of the receiver. Derek winced and held his phone away from his ear, growling in annoyance and overwhelming frustration.

"You're the one who needs to calm down, Simon. I've already explained this. Twice. If you'd shut up and listen for two seconds, I wouldn't be wasting what little time I have."

"Okay, okay. I'm calm. Tell me again what happened," he demanded slowly as if to prove that he was, in fact, calm. Derek glanced back towards the door of Andrew's office. He was alone now, as Andrew said he would remain here until the doctor from Lyle house arrived with a couple of security guards as back up. The man was seriously off his rocker and Derek wondered if he was even sane anymore. Lyle House? A group home for troubled teenagers? Containing someone who was unstable, possibly mentally ill?

Nothing fit anymore and Andrew wasn't making sense. No, he was making sense; to himself, convincing himself that Derek was dangerous and sick like the man who had conceived him. Derek was repulsed by the thought. He knew enough about his biological father to know for certain that if he were anything, he was nothing like Zachery Cain.

He wasn't going to think about that now. He wasn't going to think about Lyle house either. It was futile to believe that he wasn't going, because, as of the current standing, his ticket there was on its way. What he was thinking about was informing his family about the situation, especially his dad- his real, legitimate father figure- who could solve this problem with a snap of his paralegal fingers.

Andrew was being so unpracticed in all the steps he was taking with Derek that he had thoughtlessly skipped over the fact that Derek might be in the possession of, well, possessions that should be confiscated if he was going to a group home. Like his cell phone. And there was no way Derek was going to remind him either.

The only problem was that his dad wasn't answering _his_ phone.

So Derek called Simon instead. He had a favor to ask of him anyways. Because, while Derek was thinking- freaking- about where he was going to end up and how to get out of it, he was also thinking about Chloe, and how Liam had wanted Derek out of his way for one sole purpose.

To get his hands on her.

"Liam Malloy's got me framed for another fight and has Andrew convinced that I'm out of it. So Andrew is using this opportunity to shove me into a group home. It looks like he's been wanted to do this for a long time now."

"That's why he and dad didn't keep in contact after we moved. Andrew must have mentioned something and dad went ballistic. He's not going to like the sound of this either," Simon said dryly, starting to sound more and more like his dad, taking more of a serious attention to it. When Simon needed to drop the smile and the charm for something imperative, he could, just like their dad. Still, his comment was frankly too obvious and it was wasting more of Derek's valuable time.

"No shit, Simon. That's the point," Derek snapped, then rumbled more sternly, "As soon as you can get a hold of him, let him know what's going on."

"Wait. Andrew's not even letting you call dad? He's not even calling dad himself? He's just going to shove you in that home without consent or paperwork whatsoever?"

"Seems like it, yeah," Derek muttered into the phone, his stomach itching with anxiety again at the thought. He shook his head. He was going to get out of this. There was no way in hell he was staying more than a few hours in a home after something like this was thrown together so unprofessionally.

"I hope dad sues his ass," Simon sneered.

"Right, Simon. Because dad is in the best position to do that right now," Derek said with a roll of his eyes though he felt critically guilty at the reality of it." If word of this gets out, his career is done, for good." Because his dad's career was already in the toilet because of him.

"But none of it's true-"

"Nobody knows that except for me, Liam and Chloe," Derek interjected.

"Chloe was involved too," Simon exclaimed, and Derek once again held the phone a few inches from his ear.

"Yeah, which is the second reason why I called you. I need you to-" Derek cut off, spinning abruptly when there was a click of the door behind him. Andrew was coming back in, and he may have that backup.

"Derek," Simon asked.

"Andrew's coming back," Derek rushed as the lock continued to be picked by its coordinate key. "Listen, look after Chloe-"

"What? What are you-"

"Simon," Derek snapped in a hushed whisper. "Keep an eye on her. Don't tell her what's going on. If she knows, she'll do something stupid like approaching Liam and that's exactly what he wants. Just do this for me until everything is settled, it won't take long. Just-"

"I hear you, bro. But, maybe I'm not the best to keep-"

"Then set her up shopping with Tori. I don't care. Just make sure she isn't alone with Liam. Talk to you soon."

"Right-" Derek didn't hear the rest of what Simon said, because he snapped his phone shut and clasped it into his large hand just as the lock clicked undone and the door opened.

Andrew stepped in, followed by an older woman with graying hair dressed in a business suit. Was this the doctor? Derek's insides flipped in apprehension as the woman took him in.

But it didn't matter. This wasn't going to last long. If Derek couldn't do anything about it, his dad could. This was going to be fixed. And Derek fixed Andrew a glare that silently told him that.

"Derek, I'm doing this to help you before things really get out of hand," Andrew explained under Derek's hard gaze. He swallowed and turned to the woman, giving her a few last words before she would take Derek away.

_Doesn't matter_, Derek thought to reassure himself. Before he knew it, he would be back with Simon, laughing it up in victory and how much legal trouble Andrew was in. He'd be back to constantly being berated by Tori, even if she was afraid to admit that she actually worried about him. He would be back with Chloe and their oh-so-complicated relationship and maybe they could finally be that _something. _

Nothing more than a couple hours before his dad finally got news, and he was out of this.

But all of Derek's judgments over the past couple months had been wrong. This situation was just another to add to his streak.

* * *

It was not only a couple hours. Nothing came in no time at all. And the situation was sure as hell more than something that didn't matter anymore.

The woman, Margaret, took Derek from Andrew's office that Friday afternoon, along with a couple security goons from the school in tow.

From what Derek understood, Margaret was in charge of Derek's registration and the professionalism of this entire operation. When Derek noted that this situation was merely being handled on a whim, Margaret shook her head and proceeded to explain as they reached her crimson Honda Accord in the school's parking lot.

"These things often happen with new appointees to Lyle house. We do what we can as swiftly as we can to get a new student in before anything is made official. The first couple days of a students 'stay' is to primarily solidify their stay, letting the parent, if they have any, know about the current circumstances with several different possible cases of their child and a multitude of prescriptions, including the time of the new inhabitants welcome at the house."

"If you're thinking my dad is going to believe any of the bullshit that these so called doctors have predicted, then you're seriously deluded," Derek said with a confident smirk.

"Every student in Lyle house that has active parents have said something just as similar. But our predictions are usually never wrong," Margaret droned. The whole time she hadn't looked him in the eye and he was started to feel unsettled, the pit of his stomach squirmed uncomfortably.

If anything came before Derek knew it, it was him walking up the path of the the eerie Victorian house, that feeling of unease the house brought about simmered in his chest and he swallowed back a sudden attack of memories in that orphanage.

If anything happened in know time at all, it was Derek meeting one of the doctors. Dr. Gill or something like that. She spoke to him about the rules of the house. Things like schedules, classes, and therapy sessions. But Derek hardly paid any attention, only nodding when it was truly necessary.

If anything only took a couple of hours, it was the numbing sensation that filled Derek as the afternoon progressed. The wall he was building as Dr. Gill had him follow her through the crisp, clean hallways of the house to a room on the second floor that was dubbed his.

He was solidifying the chance of intentionally forgotten memories from returning. He was slowly locking himself away from the sense of solitude he had once believed to be the definition of his life. He was closing in on himself, only believing that he was going to get out of this and he wasn't going to open himself to the emotional abuse that had once ruled his being.

The first day, Derek was reasonably rational. He paced the cell-like room, clad with a twin bed, a desk, a dresser and a closet, all bland and white like a hospital, while Dr. Gill put together his individual schedule he would begin following the next day. But there was no point. He wasn't going to be here long enough to use it.

By the second day, he was sticking to reality, figuring that his dad was having a hard time arguing against stupid ass doctors and school administrators. He had been searching for a safe chance to pull out his phone- that he was not allowed to have- and try contacting his dad or Simon. Hell, he even wanted to talk to Tori. But, between the classes, his session with Dr. Gill, the eating hours, meeting a couple other students who's names, Kat and Peter, Derek was sure to forget in no time because he wasn't here to meet anyone, and the chores, Derek found himself too busy and under constant supervision to do anything, like quickly making an update call.

By the third day, the words Margaret had spoken on his way to the house kept repeating in his head.

"_Every student in Lyle house that has active parents have said something just as similar. But our predictions are usually never wrong."_

On the fourth day, Derek was losing his grip on that reality he was stubbornly claiming to be so, as the schedule of the house was becoming second nature.

On the fifth day, Derek was refusing to let go of the idea that he was going to get out of this, that he would soon go back to how things used to be. But he was slipping.

On the sixth day, he could no longer taste the food the house fed him, or remember the names of a couple other inhabitants. He couldn't tell if he was dreaming in his sleep anymore. He couldn't take anything in from the lessons or the counseling sessions. He finished his chores and homework robotically. When there was free time, he watched movies without seeing them. He couldn't remember what day or what time it was. He felt like the outside world was slipping away as he fell back into a world he thought he had escaped for good so long ago.

All until the seventh day, where Derek was given something that yanked him out of the hellpit he was slowly falling into.

A text from Simon. Small, simple and careful, as if he knew the possibility that Derek didn't have the phone or might be caught with it. But it was enough of a slap in the face to snap Derek out of the cage he had built to contain himself from the containment.

**Last game before state last night. She's not here today. **

**~Si**

Derek felt like a deadweight dropped in his stomach and a bucket of frigid cold water was dumped over his head.

Chloe wasn't at school today? Why? Was she safe? Did something happen at the game? Did Liam already make his move?

"Derek?"

Said boy started, jumping out of his anxious thoughts and shoving his phone back into his pocket just as Dr. Gill rounded the corner of the media room where Derek was watching some nameless movie. She had a strict look about her features, unlike her normally forced smile around him and the other students. Her mouth was a thin line of displeasure as she approached him, eyes alight with disdain.

"Come with me, Derek. You're father is here to see you."

"What," Derek asked, unsure if he had heard her right, keeping his light flutter of hope at bay until he was absolutely sure. He couldn't be positive. With his mind feeling more and more like the snowscreen channel on the TV over the past week and the sudden insecurity that Chloe might be in trouble, he wasn't willing to allow any sense of hope. She better not be messing with him, or he'd give these crackpots a reason to keep him secluded in this house.

"You're father," Dr. Gill repeated rather spitefully. "He's come to release you from your stay here at Lyle house."

Derek instantly shot up off the couch. So he had heard right. He cautiously followed Dr. Gill down the stairs to the study on the first floor, careful to keep his eager anticipation in check when he stood in close proximity to her. She was moving too slow for his taste and his nerves. But when they finally reached the den, closed off from the dining area by french wooden doors, Derek didn't care. Because there, sitting with his back to the door, just as it had been in Dr. Davidoff's office over ten years ago, was the slender build of Christopher Bae.

"Dad," Derek breathed at the door, the walls and cages crumbling to Derek's feet, that numb feeling morphing into a burning sensation of relief as soon as his dad faced him with a rather victorious, knowing smile that reminded Derek so much of Simon and home in general.

"How you holding up, bud?"

"Been better," Derek said gruffly, realizing how much his throat hurt from the lack of talking over the past week. He had literally become a living zombie, and now that Derek thought about it, he couldn't help but feel ridiculously untrusting. Of course his dad was going to get him out of this. When had he started doubting?

But he couldn't fight the twitch of his lips at the sight of his dad's contagious smile. For a moment, everything else in the world was lost, and it felt like Derek was being adopted and taken home by his dad all over again.

Mr. Bae nodded at Derek's comment and motioned for him to take a seat beside him in front of the table between him and Dr. Gill seated on the other side. Once he was settled, his dad turned back to Dr. Gill with a charming smile but a very business-like demeanor.

"How soon can I get my son out of here?"

"We have to run through some paperwork-" Dr. Gill started with a slight swallow, but Kit interrupted.

"See, this is where I disagree with you," Derek's dad said, leaning into the table with his hands folded atop the wood. "You were able to shove my son in here without paperwork, and I can understand the need for that with extreme cases, but Derek wasn't one. Everything was done without my consent, or the decision of trial and law. This place is so unprofessional that I am tempted to take the entire organization with each operator to court and sue you for everything this dump has because of the misinterpretation and quick assumptions you people have made about my son. And this-" Derek first noticed the laptop in sleep mode on the table once his dad tapped against the screen in a taunting matter to get Dr. Gill already attentive attention. "This here is my case. It's all I need to run you and your coordinates out of a job. So don't think for one second that I'm going to fill any paperwork to release my son when I wasn't able to sign anything when he was locked in here in the first place. Understand?

Derek had the urge to whoot and holler as much as the overly prepped teenagers at his school. He refrained of course and simply relished in the green tone Dr. Gill's skin was taking. The look of absolute fear in her light eyes that had nothing to do with him was priceless.

"O-Of course, Mr. Bae. I'll see to it that Derek's status here is cleared and he is free to leave when you see fit."

"Very well," Kit smiled. "I'll be taking him now then."

Dr. Gill looked to be troubled by this, but she swallowed back whatever complaint she had and nodded. Whatever was on that computer had her tongue tied and Derek could really care less as to what it was while she lead them to the front door just outside the den.

Derek wasn't able to breathe properly until he felt home free in the passenger seat of his dad's green van.

"Sorry it took so long, Derek. You will never believe how connected this place his. Lyle house is a huge sponsor of the school who's administrators were part of your case trial with the Albany incident-"

"Dad, it's fine. I honestly don't care about the details. I'm just glad to be out of there," Derek sighed, slumping into his seat.

"You don't want to know what bailed you," Kit chuckled disbelievingly, and Derek had to admit that he was a tad curious. Seeing the look on Derek's face, his dad nodded and tapped on the laptop between them.

"A little bird was really worried about you. They were able to scrounge up this evidence and get it to me this morning before I was about to claim an immediate trial. Thankfully, I don't have to for your case, but I will get that house background checked and Andrew will be losing his job, I assure you. Take a look."

Derek scrunched his brows together in question and took the laptop. He set it in his lap and clicked open the top where it immediately flashed to a video screen. Derek hesitantly pressed play and a fuzzy camera shot flickered on, showing the scenery from an angle about the bathroom facilities near the school's stadium. It was security footage. Sound, color and everything. Derek watched with wide eyes as Chloe stumbled against the wall, backpedaling away from an approaching Liam.

"The entire situation was caught on tape. That security camera was placed there a couple years ago to catch kids smoking and selling drugs behind the bathroom," Kit said distastefully. "But thankfully it was there to plead your case."

_"Get away from me," _Chloe's voice echoed from the video. Liam shoved her back against the wall and she struggled against his hold.

_"Don't touch me_," she shrieked, thrashing against him until Liam rendered her handicapped against the wall.

_"That's right, Chloe. Go ahead and scream. That's all I want from you- at the moment." _Derek's hands clenched as well as his teeth as he watched Liam dip his lips into her neck. He immediately shut the laptop, ending the video because he already knew what came next. He didn't need to hear Chloe screaming again.

"She got you this video today, right? That's why she wasn't at school," Derek asked as evenly as he could muster.

"How did you know she wasn't at school?"

"Before they shoved me into the house I asked Simon to keep an eye on her. He texted me, telling me she wasn't at school." His dad nodded.

"Derek, that girl was at our house everyday worried sick about you. It only took her a couple days to figure out what was going on and she instantly became part of the team. She tried telling the administrators everything, but she didn't have solid proof-"

"That mark on her neck, the permanent scar she's going to have because of _him_ wasn't solid proof," Derek snapped, his anger flaring.

"He's not getting away with what he did to you, Derek. I promise," his dad said sternly.

"I don't care what he did to me. He needs to be institutionalized because of what he did to Chloe. He's sick, dad. And with me out of the way, it gives him the perfect opening to get to Chloe."

"It's just like you to think about someone else when you were the one in immediate danger," Kit sighed. He looked over at Derek once they reached a red light just beyond their street. "You really care about Chloe, don't you?"

Derek hesitated for a moment, but it was pointless. Simon knew, obviously Liam knew, and Chloe knew. And it looked like his dad had figured it out long before he had himself. His dad's perplexing behavior that night Chloe stopped by made so much more sense now.

"Yeah," Derek muttered, staring out his window.

"Well, I think she really cares about you, too. And she'll be happy to see you," Kit said quietly, contentedly.

The idea sent flutters through Derek's stomach and chest and he felt the real first signs of pure relief in what seemed like an eternity.

"Yeah," he said again, only this time with a hint of a smile.

**Review! If anyone has any idea how I could have made this chapter better, let me know. But comments and critic are also welcome! **

**Don't forget to friend Lauren and I on facebook. We're Alasyn Lauren. And read _Love and War- _on my profile- and _The Ponderations of a Victim- _on the R. One-shot Series. I'm pretty positive I will write more One-shots like _Love and War. _**


	19. Chapter 19 Sanctuary

**Author's Note- **

**It's not late! I kept to my word, but I have to admit that I was distracted by Kelley Armstrong's Bitten, as it took up the majority of what little free time I had. I still finished it and I loved it! **

**Thank you everyone! What more can I say?**

**Okay, maybe I should just shut up and let you read... hehe.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_Justice, Kharma, Just Deserts... whatever floats your boat. I call it freedom._

**Chapter 19- Sanctuary**

Naturally, Kit's follow up plans forced by current events were to storm into the school, broadcast the security footage of Chloe's potential rape, justifying Derek's innocence and possibly even heroic actions against the perpetrator, thus sending the rightful, 'unstable' being to Lyle house instead of the framed, all resulting in a happily ever after. Derek out of confinement. Chloe safe from Liam. The possibility of Chloe and Derek having such freedoms and sharing them together...

Yeah. Right.

"Dad, I'm fine. You want me to rest? Let me take care of Liam first, then I'll settle," Derek fumed, hardly doing a good job with negotiation as his dad pulled the van into the driveway of the house. Kit had refused to allow Derek back to school. Not in the same day he was released from Lyle house.

"I'm sorry, bud. But the best thing to do is to mellow out at the moment. Take a breather. Then we'll review what can be done about this kid, Andrew, and the group home without a giant uproar from the city. I already told you. This place is wired. Everyone has a connection with everyone. We can't just barge in-"

"We can't waste time either," Derek added hastily, making a valuable point. Kit shook his head.

"I can assure you, Derek. Liam isn't going anywhere. For all he knows, you're still locked away in Lyle house."

"Exactly. To him, I'm right where he wants me to be, leaving Chloe exactly where he wants her to be. I've already wasted a week-"

"And one more night won't put Chloe in anymore danger than the previous. You'll be at school with her tomorrow, alright? For now, I want you to get inside the house, eat your fill and sleep. Being cooped up has malnutritioned you as if you never left the orphanage." Derek made a face at the comment, but opened his mouth to retaliate on the subject before it.

"I'm serious, Derek. Don't play off what being stuck there has done to you emotionally-" Kit began before Derek could say anything, but Derek interjected.

"How many times do I have to say that I'm fine," he growled.

"How many times do I have to say that I don't believe you," his dad countered with a victorious twitch of his lips. Derek scowled, beginning to brood like a five year old as he searched for an argument, something to say so that he wouldn't lose this battle. His dad was right of course. That house had done more to his psych than he cared to show or admit to himself, and he knew making himself at home would be a quick fix for that.

But there were more important things. Chloe's safety. He could care less about the fact that he felt more hungry than he felt in years, even though he was properly fed. He couldn't bring himself to be concerned about how exhausted his body felt, while at the same time being stiff and protesting against how still he had been in the past week. As long as Derek knew that there was still the chance of Liam even looking at Chloe, knowing he had the opportunity now more than ever to attack, left rest and healing the last things on his list.

Liam needed to be taken care of. Screw Andrew and screw the administration. Screw the group home. The sooner Liam was the one being contained, the better.

"Derek," Kit sighed, having taken note of the resolve in his son's eyes. "All that I ask is that you relax, for one night-"

"Not going to happen," Derek stated. His dad should know better.

"One night and then I'll listen to whatever it is you have in mind for this Liam kid-"

"Dad-" Derek began hotly, but Kit cut him off. Suddenly, he was smirking, as if he had a wild card in the little card argument they were having. The action caught Derek off guard and he shut his mouth, watching his dad cautiously.

"One night," Kit repeated. Derek's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Or what?" His father's smug grin grew.

"Or I'm sending Chloe home."

Kit said this with a note of finality and stepped out of the van before Derek had time to register what he just said. Once it finally clicked, Derek struggled with his seat belt and bolted out of the van after his father. He was already on the front porch by the time Derek reached him.

"What are you talking about," Derek asked, mostly because he wanted his dad to repeat what he had just said in case he had heard wrong. Kit chuckled as he unlocked the door and stepped inside. Derek followed, still perplexed, only momentarily distracted by the warm sense of home that flooded him once he set foot inside the house, but he instantly pushed it away.

"Get something to eat," his dad demanded with a grin, as if he were cracking up on some inside joke. "I've got to go up to the office and make a few phone calls. Do as I said and relax for one night, or I'm sending her home."

So Derek had heard right. Still, Derek stupidly blurted, "What," not totally comprehending the meaning behind his dad's words. This time, Kit pulled his head back and laughed, a boisterous sound that could make anyone else join along even if they missed the joke. Except for Derek because the joke was on him.

Kit patted his back and took the stairs without a word, still chortling along until he reached the top. Derek stood there in the entry dumbfounded, replaying his father's words in his head until he could understand them.

"_-relax for one night, or I'm sending her home." _

_Her_ being Chloe, meaning that she was...

And then it hit him. And no, it didn't hit him in the metaphorical sense where realization suddenly struck him, declaring him an idiot. But it _literally_ hit him. Square in the chest, with such a force he nearly doubled back onto the floor.

Stabling himself in the same second, something thin constricted around his neck tightly, holding the mass that was thrown against him in place. His vision was engulfed in light reds and tones of yellow, all rendering his mind perturbed for a moment.

"Derek," squealed a familiarly soft voice, dripping with joy and concern all in one breath. The sound slammed Derek's heart against his rib cage even faster than it was running a millisecond before, only enhancing the shock that overwhelmed his already scattered brain.

_Chloe..._

In a second, it was all over. Before Derek could react, Chloe pulled away, coming to full view before him. Her cheeks were a flaming red, testing Derek's resistance to take her face in his hands. Her sapphire eyes were wide, screaming her weeks mediations at him as well as giving away slight embarrassment. The dark circles he had seen last under her eyes were even darker now.

It looked like Derek wasn't the only one malnutritioned in their time apart.

"S-Sorry," she stuttering, before her lips pulled into a relieved smile. "I'm just so glad to see you."

At her words Derek was abruptly assaulted by that feeling of their proximity not being close enough. He didn't even have to think for his limbs to just move on their own. He closed the space between them with a half step and lifted his hand to the back of her head. He ignored her questioning gaze and pulled her against his chest, his free hand circling around her back and securing her there against him.

Only after a moments hesitation Chloe wrapped her arms around his middle and squeezed him tightly, burring her face into his chest. A honey sweet taste graced Derek's tongue, his insides tingled from a sudden increase of heat. The homey feeling of his father, of his house, all good in their own way, but they couldn't do the same justice Chloe did by simply hugging him. Where the action was extremely out of his character- he noticed for the first time he hasn't hugged anyone since his first few weeks of clinging to Kit for dear life- Derek didn't care. The mixture itself, where some ingredient had always been missing from his life only to be filled with Chloe, this was freedom.

"I'm glad to see you too," Derek breathed against her strawberry- blonde hair.

Much to Derek's dissatisfaction, Chloe pulled back. She looked up at him and though he could see in her eyes that her own words rang true, how she truly was glad he was okay, her features were set in a hard scowl. Breaking away from the circle of his arms, Chloe sighed.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what," Derek asked, his brows furrowed together in question. This wasn't what he had expected her to say while giving him that look as if he was in trouble, but he liked it a hell of a lot better than what his low self-esteemed mind conjured up.

"You told me you would see me third hour," Chloe said in exasperation, keeping her eyes locked with his. "You don't show up and the next day is the same thing. All of a sudden, Simon's buddy- buddy with me again, pushing me towards Tori who would rather eat her own fashion magazines than go shopping with me, all to hide that you were shipped off to Lyle house? It was my fault in the first place. Why not have someone inform me on what was going on?"

"Chloe if you had known, you would have done something stupi-" Derek cut himself short upon her glare and searched for a different word. "Something reckless," he muttered instead.

"Like what? Confronting Liam," Chloe snorted. "I know you're the genius Derek, and you had this all figured out before anyone, but you have to give me some credit. I'm not stupid enough not to put two and two together. You getting shipped off to Lyle house, a group home for troubled teenagers while Liam walks the halls with this ray of glory about him. I instantly knew that's why we got away from him so easily that night. That he had this whole set up planned out. I wasn't about to confront him and give him exactly what he wanted. Even if I knew before, I would have thought better of it."

"Okay, so you figured it out, Chloe," Derek said monotonously. Her explanation, even if it was given to him before he was put into the group home wouldn't have swayed his decision to keep her in the dark. "You shouldn't have involved yourself more than you already were. It makes you more of a target to Liam. If you had just stayed quiet, you would have been slipping off his radar-"

"If I had just stayed quiet, you would still be locked up in that crappy house," Chloe countered, crossing her arms purposefully, her jaw setting stubbornly.

And they were arguing again.

"Which wouldn't matter as long as Liam kept his hands off of you," Derek said icily. Chloe rolled her eyes.

"You made sure of that by replacing yourself on Chloe guard duty with Simon. It wouldn't have been necessary. I was here every day anyways, trying to figure out how to get you out from behind bars while being safe doing it. I'm telling you, Derek. You're underestimating me. I didn't even do anything remotely reckless until Ramon approached me-"

"Ramon," Derek interjected disbelievingly.

"Yes," Chloe enunciated, taking the subject slowly since Derek obviously didn't like it. "Ramon. You know, Liam's handy dandy sidekick? Turns out, he's not so handy dandy to Liam at all. Ramon knew exactly what Liam had planned and wanted out of it. His secure way of getting off scotch-free was to make sure you were brought back into the equation. He had this buddy in the video club who said he had seen the whole thing going over the surveillance tapes. Ramon bribed him and got me a copy this morning, in return for him to slip into the background."

"Did you ever think that maybe Ramon was leading you right to Liam," Derek hissed, having gone wide eyed and instantly angered by the back story to his freedom of Lyle house and Liam's obvious demise.

"Of course I did. I'm not stupid-"

"I know you're not stupid, Chloe. But what you did was. I wanted to keep you in the dark so that you wouldn't do something like this for me. I know you enough to assume that you would, and you did. You shouldn't risk yourself for me," Derek was practically shouting at the end but Chloe didn't back down. She met his advance, and if she had been the same height, she would have matched him up eye to eye.

"So, I'm supposed to sit around and do nothing?"

"Yes," Derek said evenly.

"Why do you risk yourself for me then, while your telling me not to do just that?"

Derek didn't answer. He just stared down at her hard, trying to psychically put into her brain his logic. It didn't matter what happened to him as long as she didn't get hurt.

"You do it because your worried about me. Concerned about me getting hurt," Chloe said lowly. Not questioning, but laying it out as a fact, tone daring him to object to it. But he wouldn't.

"Of course."

"Because you think I'm worth it," she said quietly. Not lowly, but quietly. The double meaning there. Another statement hiding a deeper question. Derek didn't hesitate to answer it. He felt like he couldn't anymore.

"I absolutely think you're worth it." Without missing a beat, Chloe jumped his words.

"But you don't think you are."

Derek opened his mouth to comment, give her anything that she wanted because he didn't care about holding it back anymore. But her statement rendered him speechless because it was true. He wasn't worth Chloe getting hurt.

He closed his mouth and when Chloe saw that he wasn't going to answer, she looked about ready to scream at the top of her lungs. But she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, seeming to calm herself notably. When she opened her eyes again, she stared at his chest, seeing through him as she looked for what to say next.

What would she say next? What would happen next? Derek had just confessed to having something for her, more than friendship. Because friends didn't just get themselves locked into group homes while protecting someone from sadistic stalkers. He just acknowledged that he didn't think he was worth Chloe getting herself into trouble for; Surely by her silence, she agreed.

She finally flickered her gaze to his. There was a tenderness behind the anger in her eyes that took control of Derek's organs, constricting them at her will. He couldn't look away and felt her tiny hand glide up his chest, across his shoulder and slide against the nape of his neck, causing his brain to check out differently than when he had seen her cornered by Liam. It just didn't seem to function anymore.

Well, I do," Chloe whispered, slowly rising on her toes. Derek swallowed roughly as she pulled him down to her, but he didn't object. Her words seeped deep into his mind to be recognized later, knowing for sure that he would love the way they sounded coming from her, in her voice. "I think you're worth it."

As soon as the words were out and Derek knew she had nothing left to say, that she didn't have to say anymore, he met her the rest of the way. He wrapped his arms around her waist, going off of what his body told him to do because he didn't know otherwise, he pulled her closer just as she was doing and met her lips with his own, brushing them gently while sending a jolt from them through his body and down to his toes.

The first second was wasted and relished as it passed in panic.

_What the fuck am I supposed to do now_, was his initial thought as he had never done this before. He wasn't like Simon, who most likely had his first kiss all the back in kindergarten and was an all-star pro at it now. He wasn't a romantic, a charmer. He wasn't even an ideal boyfriend. And here he was, given the opportunity and only proving that he was incompetent of this kind of stuff as he choked.

But then he remembered that this wasn't the only first he endured where he didn't know what to do. He had talked to Chloe. He had acknowledged her, befriended her, saved her, held her and comforted her. All things that he had never done before and forever thought that he wouldn't do.

And she was still here. Here against him with her tempting lips hovering centimeters from his. She wouldn't be here if she didn't want to be and neither would he. So figuring out another first was worth it.

He tentatively brushed his lips against hers again, testing in case she backed away. She didn't. Instead she returned the gesture with a test of her own, skimming her skin across his. Her free arm slipped around his neck as if giving him more of an invitation and she pulled herself into his chest. When he was certain that she wasn't going to pull away, he firmly took the next step a pushed his lips against hers, letting instinct free, he parted his lips and- WHAM!

Of course.

Derek and Chloe jumped apart at the sound of the front door hitting the wall, but it was too late.

Busted.

* * *

The interruption had been Simon-_ who else_, Derek brooded to himself. Even in a different life, Derek doubted the opportunity being skipped where Simon would be pegged as the guy with bad timing- who had frantically ran home, having decided to skip the rest of the school day in concern of finding Chloe. He hadn't been aware that Chloe had intentionally skipped to get Kit the tape that would become Derek's ticket out of Lyle house. So finding Chloe at his house and Derek out of the group had been a surprise to Simon. But finding them the way he did in the entryway of his house had been the icing on the cake.

While Simon tried to play it off as if he hadn't seen anything, attempting to slip back outside as if the interruption had never happened, Derek and Chloe couldn't bring back their moment. Besides, Tori came bursting in about five seconds later, followed by Simon's protests that sounded something like, "I told you not to go inside!"

"You didn't tell me why," Tori snapped over her shoulder. "And it's my house. I can go in if I-" She had turned at this point and found Derek and Chloe standing a few feet apart, Derek clenching and unclenching his fists as he glared at his siblings and Chloe with averted eyes and crimson cheeks. She glanced between the two before realization sparked in her eyes and a menacing grin tugged at her lips.

"I see Chloe's invited herself over again. But she's not alone."

"Tori," Derek snarled. A warning. She smirked.

"Glad to see you too, Derek. As much as I hate to admit it," Tori started with a tone that contradicted her words. "I've missed you." Derek rolled his eyes and decided to ignore her. Chloe on the other hand- the poor girl- became the center of Tori's line of fire.

Before Tori could make any crack comments about whatever she had deduced in that evil brain of hers, whether this was for the better or the worse, Kit decided to join the commotion.

The day progressed, with more comments that put Derek and Chloe into the spotlight, an invitation to dinner since it was, in fact, Thursday, and finally, a shift into more series matters that became a relief to Derek at the end of dinner, even if Chloe was at his side; their plans on getting Liam caught, Andrew fired, and Lyle house background checked.

The answer was simple. Reveal the security footage. It was so simple that Derek was even able to do as his dad had told him to do without any further argument. For the rest of the night, even after Chloe went home promising that she was not alone and with her aunt- before giving Derek a fleeting kiss on the cheek when no one was looking- he relaxed, relishing in his own personal mix of freedom.

* * *

Derek and Chloe weren't supposed to be in the conference room with Kit while he revealed the security footage to the administrative leaders who had given him the time of day to actually give a shit... a half an hour before school started the following day. They weren't even supposed to be seen together as students slowly filed into school. Not yet at least. That wasn't part of the plan.

So, as the plan went underway, with Derek's dad in place, giving the administrators all the proof they needed that Liam was in fact guilty, Andrew was an idiot, and Lyle house was strictly unprofessional, all taking place while Chloe lounged against her own car in the school's parking lot, appearing to be critically discussing something on the phone to who she acted as if it wasn't Simon who was keeping contact with her from inside the school while he spied on Liam, who was predictable by unreasonably there early, while Derek kept watch in his own car across the lot.

Tori wanted to sleep in as much as she could on a school day...

Derek watched Chloe. Even as the moment was serious, having planned out Liam's epic downfall with almost a lustful desire had only been the second highlight of Derek's night on Thursday. The first was that moment, where it was just Chloe and him and no one else around. No judgment, or rumors, or wary glances. No questions. No cares outside the two of them.

Aside from the tranquility, out of everyone, out of all Chloe's choices, she had chosen him. Derek. The new guy with a dark past. The guy everyone normally tried to avoid but that was aside from the point because Chloe wasn't normal.

He was tired of not believing that he deserved Chloe. Soon enough she would catch the vibe and possibly believe him. He didn't want that. For once in his life, he was going to keep something that he wanted. He was going to be selfish. He was going to take care of himself, because she had said herself; he was worth it.

That _something_ finally clicked for Derek that night and he had a hold of it. There was no way in hell he was going to let it go. Chloe was his now and he knew the feeling was mutual when he felt as if he wouldn't have it any other way.

The sight of Liam jogged Derek from his reverie. He hadn't noticed Chloe slowly pacing between the drivers side of her Silica and a neighboring black Toyota. It was the signal they had premeditated, informing that Simon's cover was blown and Liam was taking the bait.

He was snatching up what he thought was a clear opportunity with Chloe.

Derek waited- rather impatiently- as Liam approached from behind. He could practically hear Liam's assumption on her act while he eyed her over. She looked to be having a wild conversation with someone. It was supposed like Chloe was having an argument with someone who didn't believe her about Derek's innocence, giving Liam the perfect moment to pounce. Why wouldn't he? If Chloe was still arguing, by herself, that meant Derek was still stuffed in the group home.

For a girl who didn't care much for the acting part of movie-making, Chloe was pretty good at it. Liam was falling for it hook, line and sinker.

So Derek quietly removed himself from his Sedan and took his turn to stealthily advance towards the two sole occupants of the parking lot.

Chloe turned in her pace, back towards Derek while she faced the predatory glint of Liam. She faked a gasp and a startled jump, very well done because she was probably surprised anyways, even if she was expecting it. But her stutter was impeccable.

"L-Liam-"

"Sssh, Chloe. No need to be worried. I saw you all alone out here and thought I would give you some company," Liam slithered, making Derek insides twist like that night, even knowing that Liam wasn't going to get nearly as far as he got before.

"I-I already have company," Chloe said shakily, taking a step back. Liam shook his head in mock disappointment and tsked.

"Chloe, Chloe, Chloe. I don't think you understand. You see, no one is coming to your rescue this time, and I'm starting to grow impatient. All fun games grow tiring and, frankly, I'm done screwing around."

"So you got Derek out of the way, didn't you? So that you could finally have your fun," Chloe sneered, losing that fear, which may have been for the better because it had Liam advancing nonetheless. He liked it. The sick bastard.

"You figured that out, huh," Liam snickered. "I knew you were a smart girl, cutie."

"Laugh all you want Liam," Chloe snapped. "You're only going to get what you deserve because of what you did." This time, Liam threw back his head and laughed, taking a step towards Chloe who stumbled back.

"You think that idiot, Souza, is going to save you this time? Last I checked, he's snug as a bug in Lyle house," Liam hissed maliciously, his inner sadistic characteristics beginning to rise to the surface. Chloe's fumbled footwork away from him wasn't fake anymore. Unfortunately for Liam, he was paying so much attention on his prey that he didn't notice how close Derek was. "If you don't believe me, Chloe, then take a look around. Is your boyfriend here?"

"Yeah, actually," Derek said, catching Liam's immediate attention as he draped an arm over Chloe's shoulder, mostly for self comfort, but he was trying to add to the act. Chloe instantly relaxed at the sound of his voice and leaned into his side. A silent hum of relief escaped her lips as if she feared that Derek wouldn't make it for some reason.

The thought was almost as ridiculous of Derek losing faith in his father getting him out of Lyle house, so he let it pass. Chloe was only human and Liam was scary. She had every right to be frightened even if the circumstances were in her favor.

As soon as Liam laid eyes on Derek, they widened disbelievingly and he let out a muffled string of curses. He tensed, casting aside the surprise in trade with a cocky smile,

"Out of the loony bin so soon, Souza?" He tried to play it off, act as if he didn't care, as if he had calculated Derek's release into his plans, but he wasn't fooling anyone. Derek smirked, tucking Chloe closer into his side.

"Yeah. Thought I'd come back and give everyone a rational reason to keep me in there. I was hoping you could help me with that." Liam sneered at him, giving Derek all the more reason to feel as if this was finally over. But he knew better. He had to play it out, all the way to the last possible minute.

"Guess I shouldn't have underestimated legally daddy, huh? Must have this entire town wrapped around his justice dealing fingers to get you out so quickly," Liam said snidely, possibly buying his own time to either find a way out or jump Derek.

"Nah. You know how interconnected Buffalo is. That's why you thought your plan was so flawless. Believe me, it was. To a point, that is."

"What are you talking about," Liam asked cautiously, eyes narrowing. Derek wiped his face of emotion, finding too much enjoyment in prattling Liam's sanity after everything he had done to Chloe. After everything he had done to him. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a copy of the surveillance tape. He tossed it to Liam, who fumbled to catch it and did so barely. Some football star.

"What is this?"

"It was caught on tape, Liam. Legally daddy had nothing to do with my release. The truth did. I'd try and rediscover that line of trust you've got with that friend of yours. He knew all about the tape and willingly handed it over, backing out of the situation entirely. Now, you're on your own. So go ahead, lie and manipulate yourself out of this, Liam. I'd probably enjoy it."

"You son of a bitch-" Liam snarled, throwing the tape against the pavement, but Derek jumped in.

"Save your breath. It's over. You couldn't break anyone. You lost."

What Liam did next was predictable. He was a sore loser because he was used to winning, and Derek was ready for it. He shoved Chloe to the ground behind the Toyota just as Liam lunged at him. Derek took the hit and they fell to the pavement.

"Derek," Chloe shouted over Liam's snarls, but there was hardly room to acknowledge her when he needed to concentrate on the guy attacking him. Liam was so blinded by rage that when he snapped his fist at Derek's nose, the action was uncontrolled and slow and Derek was able to catch his fist, rebounding twice as hard. He nailed his jaw, sailing Liam off of him.

Liam's grunt of pain would never be enough to satisfy all Derek's desires to pummel Liam, but it would have to suffice. Because just as Liam was struggling up for another attack, his shoulders were grabbed and he was restrained. Two security officers from the school flanked him as they held him back. Behind them were a couple suited men, the front office secretary- clad in a penciled skirt and a tan blouse with straps that could barely be called sleeves. For God's sake woman, it's December- Simon and Kit. Simon beamed at Derek and waved his cell, having initiated his part of the plan in frantically warning the counseling room that there was a fight in the parking lot. Lo and behold it was started by their current subject in question. Liam.

The security officers hauled Liam away after a few questions about pressing charges. Kit wholeheartedly declined for not only Derek, but Chloe as well, informing the officers that they didn't need to go through anymore than they already had. Liam's struggles, snarls and protests were almost all the satisfaction Derek needed. Almost. But it still felt good, almost surreal, knowing that Chloe didn't have to worry about Liam again. That _he_ didn't have to worry about Liam again.

The suited administrators, Russel and a man who's name Derek didn't catch, swiftly apologized to Kit for the trouble involving the accusations of his son. They didn't say one word to Derek. Chloe was cornered by the front office receptionist, being questioned on whether she was hurt or not. By the many hints the woman was giving she wasn't asking if Liam had been the one to hurt her, but Derek. Hearing this, Simon caught the secretary's attention by complimenting her blouse, saying how it really brought out the color of her skin, and she melted for him. Of course. But it left Chloe open for an interception nonetheless.

Catching his eye, Chloe beamed, the relief tangible in her blue orbs. She stumbled her way over to him, the spark in her eyes changing, glowing, laughing along with the smile on her face

"Guess you don't have to worry about Chloe guard duty anymore, huh," she laughed, though there was hint of disappointment in her tone. Derek could see it hiding in her features, but she seemed too content and relieved at the moment to dwell on it. The idea struck Derek though. Because it was disappointing. He didn't have a solid reason to be around Chloe so much anymore.

Not a logical one anyway.

"Nah. Guess not."

"That's not to say that you won't be stuck with me for a while," she added smugly, though there was still the question there. The underlying question that Derek once again didn't have a problem answering.

"Good," he murmured, hyperaware of the smile creeping across his face since the action was so foreign. He slid his arm around Chloe's waste and forcefully pulled her closer to him. There wasn't any hesitation or question this time. He knew what he wanted and because of that, he knew what to do. He was so sure of himself, of Chloe, of them. He no longer had to second guess.

With the beat of Chloe's heart rocketing against his chest, where his had launched off long ago, he dipped his face to hers as she watched him before capturing her lips. Chloe's eyes closed and she leaned against him, arms going around his shoulders in attempt to close whatever distance there was between them, and Derek was aware that there wasn't much. Her back arched against his hold, her weight testing the strength of it as she barely stood on her toes anymore, relieving Derek of having to bend because she was so small. But he didn't care. In fact, he liked it.

He liked how she was so tiny against him, how she held him with every scrap of strength she could conjure up, how her tender lips pressured his, kissing him like she didn't want to stop. He liked how all he could feel was Chloe, instead of the bitter cold of December. He like how all he could taste was Chloe, something honey sweet and bitter at the same time. He liked how he could just ignore the expectant cough off in the distance because nothing else mattered.

Not in this moment.

**This chapter was so long, but I've been holding that in for a long time! Well? I know, I know, the interruption is SO overdone, but you can't have a potential Chlerek kiss with out Simon busting in and ruining it. And I've already made so many references to the actual series already, I couldn't resist.**

**Only one more chapter guys. :( Now I'm sad. I've already started, so it will definitely be out sooner.**

**Make me happy? Review please!**


	20. Chapter 20 Rumored to be True

**Author's Note- Okay, only majorly late, but here nonetheless right? I literally re-wrote this chapter four times until I found something fitting for a final chapter. I think I'm pretty content with this actually and I only hope that you guys enjoy it.**

**Speaking of you guys, I just want to comment one last time on how amazing the journey of this story has been and it is all because of the followers. So thank you, 1,000 times over for following, reading and reviewing. It has made writing this worth it.**

**Don't forget to join Lauren and I on facebook and to continue following the One-shot series and commission of One-shots like **_**Love and War**_**.**

**So, without further delay, I give you guys the finally of Rumored to be True. **

**Love you guys!**

* * *

_How could I have been so blind…_

**Chapter 20- Rumored to be True**

It was rumored that Coach Carson had been fired back before Christmas break, because the only explanation for his adequate coaching- proven by the plethora of games his team had won- was due to the fact that he had his team on steroids.

It was rumored that the school district was under a law suit by a newer resident in Buffalo due to the fact that it unprofessionally opted an accusation on a kid who was assumed to start fights at old schools.

It was rumored that Ramon Santos transferred schools, because the football team went to crap and he had a reputation to keep if he wanted to get any decent scholarships and a chance to continue playing in college.

It was rumored that Rae and Brady were on one week and off the next because no sense of relationship could hold either of their egotistical personalities.

It was rumored that Liam Malloy was arrested and thrown into prison for an attempt of rape on school grounds, not to mention his loss of admittance and football scholarships for his future school. Because of his loss and the renouncement of Coach Carson, the Bison's lost their edge, and the pep of the school seemed to die along with it.

It was also rumored that the boy who had been accused of starting fights and having an unstable history was now dating the girl who Liam Mallow had victimized and assaulted.

Derek snorted as he chalked up everything he had heard- again- that January morning in his second hour class. To say that any of this was old news, overrated and worn to scraps was an understatement.

Seriously, it's been a month. And, honestly, most of the truth had gone to crap as soon as word had reached the school back in December.

For the most part, and sticking to the point, Andrew Carson had been fired. But the gossip about him drugging his players was complete bullshit. Not that the district or the administrators did anything to prove otherwise, because the simple truth was that Andrew had falsely and abruptly accused Derek of being dangerous and unstable, causing constant fights because he was troubled by his past. It wasn't in his power or his place to convict and act, but to recite his concern to the guardian of the accused, which Andrew did not. Andrew knew that Kit wouldn't see what he saw, therefore Andrew acted on what he thought was best. The guy wasn't a bad person, but simply, horribly mistaken.

This connects with the talk about the district under a law suit with the father of the accused, which would be Christopher Bae, Derek's dad, if it were actually true. Kit hadn't pressed charges when it came to Andrew's assumptions, Liam's actions, or Lyle house's unprofessionalism, nor did he care what happened to Andrew, Liam or Ramon as long as they stayed away from his son and the girl whom Liam had assaulted.

Speaking of Ramon, it was true he had transferred schools. But it wasn't because of his devotion to the sport of football, nor his desire to play the game in college. The guy could care less when it came to football or his education. He just had no one to trail around for the ride after he had sold his best friend out on attacking a- seemingly- helpless girl. He moved on and nobody really heard from him or about him anymore.

Derek could care less about Rae or Brady. For one, he wasn't chummy with the guy because of the football player's superiority complex, and frankly, Derek didn't go out of his way to make friends anyways. Second, Rae was a complete bitch that Derek had no respect for whatsoever. The rumor was something Tori started once discovering her new found hate for the brunette dancer. It was petty, but again, Derek didn't care.

A lot of talk was centered around Liam disappearing from school, where students heard whispers that he had been arrested because he was caught on tape trying to get into the pants of one of their fellow students. He wasn't necessarily arrested, where Derek believed that he was eighteen and very well should have been, but simply taken into custody and shoved into Lyle house after it was background checked and filtered through the government, upon attorney, Kit Bae's request to keep from a lawsuit. But the more Derek thought about it, the more satisfying the idea was that Liam wound up to be the one stuck in Lyle house after getting Derek sent there for setting up a fight during his attempt of rape. He knew that girl was important to Derek, and he took advantage of that. Unfortunately for him, prompt of the girl's own words, Liam got what he deserved.

And finally, the rumor that Derek doubted would ever go away, because it was rumored to be absolutely true, was the he- the boy accused of being dangerous and uncontrollable- was dating the girl whom Liam had sexually assaulted, the girl labeled to be un-datable aside from her sweet, innocent nature, because she was straightforward and stubborn.

Chloe Saunders.

The very idea willed Derek's lips to curve, but he refrained from the full blown smile that threatened to appear. There was no need to make people look or pay any more attention to him than they already did, especially if he had a goofy ass grin on his face. But he really couldn't help it. To think that before, he truly believed he had all he needed in life. That having his dad, his brother and best friend, and, to an extent, his sister, was all he needed to escape his past, his biological father's reputation, his experience in the orphanage, and his life before this one. And yet, there was always a void that Derek's family couldn't fill. He never paid to much attention to it before meeting Chloe. And upon realization, he couldn't keep away from how she almost capped it.

Derek would never say that their relationship was perfect. It was simply labeled and easy enough for anyone to follow. Boyfriend and girlfriend. But since meeting her three months before, as fast as things have moved, Chloe was more than a superficial title. She was his best friend in a way that Simon couldn't be. She was his grip, snapping him out of whatever illogical thought produced from his fairly practical brain when it came to anything that didn't require common sense. Derek was a genius. But, at the same time, he was helplessly clueless. And she's been slowly fixing that, surprisingly by her more stubborn behavior by not taking any of his shit. Though that was shocking and out of the ordinary to Derek, he couldn't let it go or get enough of it.

Chloe was something else to him, made for him. Not the perfect fit in that void, but everything he ever wanted and could ask for when it came down to it. And the fact that she felt the same made the connection between them all the more surreal.

The bell sounded then, yanking Derek from his reverie, and shoving him into something even better. His reality. His reality in which he could actually see Chloe with his own eyes, hear her voice with his own ears, feel her skin with his own touch. She was only down the hall after all.

Derek pushed out of his seat without hesitation, part of him eager to get out of class and away from all the gossip- gossip that he has heard a hundred times over, each story a touch different than the last- the other part eager just to see Chloe. He usually walked her from her second hour class that she shared with Simon to the third hour class that they had together. Career and Consumer Connections.

To think that this class was really where they had started, and Derek hated to be sentimental, but it was the truth. Everything between them and Liam and Simon mixed in. It was almost as if they had been pushing through all this crap that lead to this point through years instead of three short months.

Derek rounded the corner into Chloe's hall and saw her among the other students like he usually did. Except today looked to be a little different than what Derek _usually_ saw. He bent his brows in confusion, questioning why he normally saw Chloe standing outside of her class waiting for him, where he always drank in her petite frame, her blonde tresses framing her face and her blue eyes smiling when they found his, sending his insides into a fit of hysterics, instead finding this time that she was already walking away towards Mr. Beck's classroom. By herself.

The sight didn't make sense, nor did it compute in Derek's brain. All that he could think was that he had either taken too long to get to her English class- which was really unlikely considering how elated he was to see her- or that something was wrong. Was something wrong?

Derek picked up his pace, weaving around other students and quickly caught up to her. From what he could see, she seemed to look fine. She wasn't hurt, annoyed, or angered. In fact, she wasn't really expressing any form of emotion though she didn't have a need to. Her features were simply blank, eyes on the ground as she watched where her own feet were going. She was simply walking to class.

But she was walking by herself.

Hesitantly, Derek reached over her shoulder and plucked the book titled 'The Great Gatsby' from her grasp, feeling the need to do something to introduce his presence. He didn't say anything, knowing that she would jump and turn on him, slight annoyance dancing in her eyes. But, strangely, even her minor aggravation seemed better than the eerie, emotionless mask she currently wore.

Chloe jumped, as was predicted, but she didn't turn, which wasn't normal. She just closed her eyes, continuing to walk and gave an annoyed sigh.

"Simon," she huffed, almost as if warning. Derek furrowed his brows, becoming even more perplexed by the second. Sure Chloe and Simon were friends now; all awkward tension between them had been thrown out the window long ago. But why was she suspecting Simon when she very well should know that it was Derek who had the knack to sneak up on her and would be around at this time anyways. It was as if he encroached on a constant game the two played- which was often as Simon became the guy who liked Chloe, but it wasn't a girlfriend or nothing kind of like. He was simply being his charming, good-natured self and Chloe liked that about her friend- only Chloe wasn't into it today. That was definitely not normal.

Derek slowly draped his arm over her shoulder, still holding her book in the same hand and bent down to her ear. She stiffened at his touch, which was as far from normal as it gets with Chloe. She would jump. She always did. But physical connection never made her uncomfortable. Not since Liam had been expelled. Not with Derek anyways.

"Try again," Derek whispered, hinting to her assumption that he was his brother. She instantly relaxed, easing Derek's paranoia that something was wrong, but he couldn't help himself. Something was off and it bothered him that he didn't know what it was.

"What's wrong?"

Chloe snapped her gaze up at him. Being as trained as he was to reading her eyes- where the answers were always found there when it came to Chloe. Acting on those answers proved to be better said than done though with Derek- that he could skip right past her features. Her face said innocence and confusion, her eyes said the opposite.

"What do you mean? Nothing's wrong." Derek would admit that when it came to her skipping over the truth, because the girl was a horrible liar, her stutter was getting better. But even that facet wasn't good enough. He still caught the hesitation.

"So you're walking by yourself to third hour and you thought I was Simon? Yup, everything seems hunky dory, Chloe." With that Chloe snorted and pulled herself into his side, wrapping her own arm around his waist to hold herself closer. Better. Definitely better.

This was normal for them, both comfortable with an extremely close proximity and constant touch. They did their best- Chloe did, where Derek didn't care much what anyone else thought- to keep their displays of affection in public to a minimum. Granted, Derek made sure there was an understanding of Chloe's connection with him among the rest of the student body, especially of the male gender, for it never failed for Chloe to catch someone's eye. Aside from holding hands or something like this, the rest of their relationship was private, and Derek probably appreciated that more than constant interruptions or stares.

"I was just thinking. Besides, I thought you would catch up," she said smugly, causing Derek to arch his brow in challenge before shoving it away and giving her a questioning glance. She knew very well how to distract him, but it wasn't going to come that easy. Not this time.

"What were you thinking so hard about?"

"Um-" Chloe hesitated again, uselessly clearing her throat, as if gathering her bearings. "I got this last hour." She made a face as soon as the words slipped her tongue and Derek knew that hadn't been what she was originally going to say. But she went along with it anyways, probably finding that it was too late to turn back and pulled a manila envelope from her bag. She handed it over to him. He released her and she took a small step away while he opened the envelope. He instantly missed the heat of her tucked against his side.

"What is this," Derek asked, pushing aside the disappointment of Chloe's distance and pulling out the contents of the envelope. It looked to be some sort of certificate accompanied by a letter. Chloe rolled her eyes and muttered something like, "Why don't you read it and find out?" So, with a scowl, Derek did just that.

It was an acknowledgment of great achievement on the dance team and a letter congratulating her on excelling in varsity.

"You lettered on the dance team," Derek rumbled the question, knowing it was a good thing and wondering why it seemed to be a bad thing by the way Chloe presented the news.

"Yup. Which means I don't have to participate again my last year to keep the eligibility for the scholarship," Chloe stated rather monotonously. Derek scrunched up his nose at the letter, again wondering what was so bad about that. He thought Chloe didn't really want to be on the dance team.

"So you excelled, Chloe. That doesn't mean you have to drop the team," Derek stated cautiously. "Not if you don't want to at least."

"You know I don't want to be on the team, Derek," she sighed. And he did know that. But how was he supposed to believe that if she acted like this about the subject? He knew the reason behind her participation on the dance team was because of her sense of connection towards her deceased mother. But that didn't mean that she liked being on the team. She hated it. At least he thought she did.

"So why do you seem so bummed about it?"

"I'm not bummed about it," Chloe snapped, taking Derek by surprise, as if he was seriously missing something. Chloe caught herself before she fell into a rant, taking a deep breath and proceeding calmly. "It just seems weird. I've been dancing since I was six and now I'm finally doing something I want to do about it. I'm dropping out. Maybe I have to give it a couple days to sink in."

"Guess so," Derek muttered as he resealed the letter and handed it back to Chloe. He was tempted to take her hand, like usual, but he didn't. He settled for stuffing his hands into his pockets and remaining silent the rest of the walk to their C.C.C. class.

Something was bothering Chloe. Derek had this gut feeling that it had nothing to do with the letter. He knew Chloe was going to drop the team and hold no regrets for it, only because she understood that her mother wouldn't want her to hold that feeling of guilt and responsibility anymore, and neither did Derek.

No. Something else was upsetting Chloe. Something she was trying to hide. But sooner or later, Derek was going to find out what it was… even if he didn't like the answer.

What if the reason she was hiding it from him was because _it_ _was him_?

* * *

Chloe wasn't even watching the movie.

Ever since they had started dating, Chloe was over at Derek's house more and more. For one, they had to work on the project they were paired together for their C.C.C. class that Mr. Beck had assigned way back near the middle of the semester. They now had only two weeks left until the semester was over and were practically done with the budgeting aspect anyway. They simply had to put their analysis into the software that Mr. Beck had shown them, and Derek was going to have Tori help with that. He usually left the tech to her, as much as she would hate to admit it, Victoria Enright was a major computer geek.

Second, there wasn't much for Chloe do to after practice when she was by herself all the time. In fact, Derek had yet to meet Chloe's father- not too sure whether he wanted to or not, perplexed by how Chloe's father would react that his daughter, who's life he was completely clueless of, was now dating- and her aunt Lauren, because of their work. Steven Saunders would soon be coming back from a four week business trip though, and Chloe's aunt promised to take a night she wasn't on call at Buffalo General to meet this new boy in her niece's life. From how Chloe hesitated once announcing the event to Derek, he was sure that meeting wasn't going to be a pleasant one. And rules were already set. Chloe couldn't be out past seven, which she obediently and religiously followed. Derek didn't argue.

However, in Chloe's free time, she was usually with him or off with Mila, a friend of Chloe's that Derek actually liked. She was often invited to dinner on Thursday's by Derek's dad, most of which Chloe politely declined for she didn't want to encroach on their family gathering.

Tonight wasn't one of those nights. Derek had insisted and pushed past Chloe's protests, practically forcing her to stay for dinner. He was going to scrounge up whatever time he could tonight of all nights, because the entire day at school, Chloe had been acting strange and distant. And Derek didn't like not knowing the reason why. Especially now, as they sat on the couch in his living room, Chloe curled up in her regular spot, head against Derek's shoulder while he rested his arm on the back of the sofa, her eyes intent on the screen. But, she wasn't even watching the movie- that she had chosen- and that drove Derek madder than when she was actually paying attention, mumbling and critiquing every aspect that dealt with the production of the film that no one ever cared to think about.

She didn't say a single word and that was saying something considering they were watching _'Shaun of the Dead.'_

Finally, Derek cracked and reached for the remote. He couldn't take the horrid movie and, more importantly, he couldn't take Chloe's torturous silence and odd behavior anymore. He switched the TV off and tossed the remote to the coffee table.

"Hey! I was watching that," Chloe complained, not really sounding upset by the interruption. She looked up at him with a questioning scowl.

"No you weren't, Chloe," Derek accused.

"Yes, obviously, I was," she said angrily.

"Chloe, you haven't said a single word about it for the past hour that it's been playing," Derek exasperated. "Even I thought it was horrible and yet you've been completely quiet."

"It was good," Chloe protested, sitting up and moving away from him. Derek raised a speculative brow which she matched with a glare.

"You hate illegitimate zombie movies," he said factually.

"It wasn't-" Derek's brows raised higher and she stopped short. Finally her shoulders slumped and she averted her eyes to the floor.

"Okay. It was horrible. But I wasn't really watching it in the first place."

"Which brings me back to my point," Derek started. "You haven't been acting like yourself today. Something's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong," Chloe said a little too quickly and Derek nodded, knowing that she was going to need an interrogation before she spilled the beans. He wasn't so ready for her to spill them either. He'd been fretting all day that the reason behind her distance was because of him. That maybe she wasn't into this anymore. That maybe she wasn't into him anymore and that she didn't want to tell him. And though he gave Chloe more credit than that, he couldn't help but feel self conscious and dejected. It never made sense for a girl like Chloe would choose a guy like him and though it was a long shot, he couldn't fight the hope. All good things had to come to an end. He wasn't going to let it go on if it didn't have a chance.

He still hesitated though, not wanting to let what they had go. He liked Chloe. He really liked her. So he started slow, easing into it, hoping it wouldn't be as disappointing if his thoughts were slowly revealed to be a reality.

"Yes there is, Chloe. I'm not stupid. Did something happen at school this morning?"

"No," she stated with slightly narrowed eyes, seeing that he wasn't just going to drop it. And he wasn't, even though his stomach clenched as paranoia began to build.

"Did Simon say something?"

"No," she snapped. That wasn't it either, which narrowed it way down. What else could it be if not him?

"Did I do something? Are you upset with me," Derek tested, that glimmer of hope flaring inside him as he held his breath for her answer...

"W-What? No, of course not," Chloe blanched, her eyes widening in surprise and disbelief, as if the idea was the craziest thing in the world. Derek felt his breath rush out of him in relief and a tension he wasn't aware of holding released. So she wasn't over him, not yet at least. There was always the possibility. For now he didn't think of that, because he still hadn't gotten anywhere with Chloe.

"Then what's wrong?"

"I'm telling you," Chloe said in exacerbation. "There is nothing-"

"Chloe," Derek interrupted with a straight face, keeping her eyes locked with his. "There's no one here. We aren't at school, Simon's at basketball practice, Tori is off with Liz and my dad is out getting some work done. It's just you and me right now. I know I'm not the greatest guy to talk to about stuff, but I don't like knowing your upset and-"

"You're going away to college," Chloe suddenly blurted. She clamped her mouth shut as soon as the words escaped and look away, allowing her hair to cover her expression. Derek on the other hand knit his brows together in complete confusion, his mind not quite capable of understanding what it was that she meant or what she was talking about for the matter.

"What?"

"I-Its nothing. Just forget i-it," Chloe muttered, still glancing off into the living room, now fidgeting with her mother's oval pendant around her neck.

"It's not nothing, Chloe," Derek said, trying to catch her eye. "What are you talking about?"

"Well," Chloe paused, refusing to look at him while looking anywhere else. The fidgeting of her trinket became worse. Finally she sighed. "I was talking to Mila last night."

_Oh great_, was Derek first thought.

"She was asking about us, wondering i-if I was worried about you graduating this year a-and going away to college. I admit I hadn't really thought about it. I always knew you would and I'm still really excited for you. But o-once she brought it up that way, I-I just couldn't help it. I just started thinking about it, about what she meant."

Chloe started off slow and deliberate, in a manner to keep herself calm that wasn't working in her favor. She swallowed hard, blinking several times, staring at a spot on the couch while Derek patiently- as patiently as he could- waited for her to explain how this was upsetting her. Then she went on in a rush.

"You'll be so busy with studies and trying to maintain that scholarship and you'll be so far away. You'll have new teachers, new equals, and a new community. You'll be able to meet new people and there will be other girls there. Older girls. Most that are probably more experienced. Maybe they will have more to offer, and they will be prettier and older and smarter and presumptuous and might not hold as much emotional baggage as I do, and-"

Derek cut off Chloe's frantic ranting by planting his hand over her mouth, effectively catching her by surprise and shutting her up. He next took hold of her hands so that she wouldn't accidentally tie the chain of her necklace in a knot and wind up freakishly choking herself to death. Her eyes snapped to his, wide and innocent- and sad. He watched her for a moment, taking the breath to run everything she was saying through his practical brain.

How could she honestly feel threatened by- college girls? Was that really what this was all about? That Derek would go off to college and find someone better? Someone better than Chloe, by means of looks, brains and body? She couldn't be serious. Of course it was apparent that she wouldn't like the distance between them, she made that understandable and that was normal. But to think that she wasn't good enough… for _him_?

He could see it in her eyes, how insignificant, undeserving and threatened she felt and how much the idea was upsetting her. He had never seen her self confidence and worth so shot, not since Liam had been taken out of the picture. That look had Derek's insides drumming at his body, unnervingly torturing him. And yet, she had no reason to feel or look so dejected. If Chloe deserved anything, it was more than him and what he could offer.

But he didn't know how to say that or what to say to make Chloe feel better or believe him. Believe the truth. He wasn't a man of words so much as a man of action. He went through things rationally, taking action on them without the consent of others. He was stumped because he wasn't sure what to say nor was his only idea of action rational.

But since when had anything with Chloe been logical or made sense? Besides, actions spoke greater than words and, most of the time, that rang true with Derek So he did the only thing he could think of that would help Chloe believe him, that she wasn't just some fling that Derek would move on from once in college and surrounded by older women. No offense to his brother, but Chloe wasn't like one of Simon's girlfriends.

To Derek, Chloe was different and she was special. And he wanted to be sure that she felt that way.

He removed his hand from her mouth, revealing her parted, sad lips to him. His fingers brushed along her cheek, the skin growing red from either his touch or being upset, he wasn't sure, while his hand clasped around hers tugged her closer to him. She looked at him with questioning eyes before his own green orbs locked onto his target. She sucked in a breath when his hand claimed the nape of her neck, tilting her face up to meet his.

When their lips first touched, Chloe didn't respond, remaining hesitant and stiff. But Derek simply closed his eyes and released her hands, letting them fall into his lap while his own found her side and rested there. After a second Derek could literally hear the click and whirr of her brain's gears and she reacted, leaning into him, fingers gliding up his chest, lips finally moving against his in synchronization. She suddenly relaxed, as if a large weight was lifted off her shoulders and Derek knew that this was all he needed to do, to say to make her understand that they had something. Something that older girls couldn't threaten. And the thought made Derek smile into their kiss.

After a few more seconds, Chloe's arms found their way around his neck, effectively pulling herself parallel against him. Derek dropped his hand from her hair and skimmed his fingers down her back untill it was symmetrical with his other on her waist. Somewhere during that, Chloe had wiggled her way onto Derek's lap and was lengthening their kiss to something they hadn't quite reached in their relationship yet. They never really got enough time alone like this where everyone was gone at once and somehow, subconsciously knowing that, it was taking them just a step farther without them having to jump two spaces back like before.

Derek couldn't help but notice how the taste of Chloe's lips made his mouth water, simply helping his fogged brain comprehend that he wanted more. He tentatively flicked his tongue across her lower lip before gliding it along its luscious skin. Chloe abruptly made a sound that sent violent shudders down his spine and it somewhat surprised him when she opened her mouth to him, allowing him a chance to explore.

With slight hesitation Derek slipped his tongue between her lips, glancing across hers in the process. She released a silent giggle, fingers tangling themselves deeper into his hair. Derek would grudgingly admit this was one of the reasons he kept from getting it cut.

While slowly losing more and more focus on the world around them, Derek continued to dance his tongue along Chloe's, thoroughly enjoying the heated sweet taste that slid down his throat and filled his core with an erratic flame, matching the beat of his untamed heart. Unfortunately, all too soon, as if they had been in a serious lip lock for what seemed to be hours, they pulled apart to breathe and pant, filling their mistreated lungs. Derek skimmed his nose and lips along Chloe's jaw, drinking in the moment, memorizing every detail, letting her know how much she meant to him and that the something they had was special.

"I can't believe how blind you are," Derek chuckled into her ear, knowing how ironic the comment was because of how observant and quick she actually was. Chloe laughed along with him and tucked herself into his chest, wrapping her arms around his middle, falling content to know that Derek said all he needed to say to reassure her.

So he was going to college. Big deal. They still had about a half a year until then and their relationship had to make it there first before they worried about distance and everything else. But worrying about Derek going after another girl that wasn't Chloe, let alone actually talking to one like he did with her was ridiculous. Even for Chloe. As naive and unrealistic as it sounded- neither of them knew what the future held for them- they still had the time to decide whether there would actually be those kinds of problems between them anyways. For now, they needed to worry about the present and continue the way that they are going. Because that way, Derek can say for certain that what they have will get somewhere.

"Alright, love fest over," a voice boasted from behind the couch. Chloe and Derek jumped apart, Derek's frown returning as well as Chloe's blush. Derek glanced over his shoulder and found Tori standing there with her arms crossed and a smug smirk. Her eyes locked with Derek's and the look spoke volumes. Trouble.

"I thought you were out with Liz."

"Oh, I was," Tori started, smile getting wider. "But Liz reminded me of due dates and I had to race back home before you and Chloe got too busy." She finished her statement with a snicker. Derek's eyes narrowed at her as he grew more and more suspicious. He could practically feel Chloe's heat of embarrassment rolling off of her in waves under Tori's knowing gaze.

"What due dates, Tori," he snapped. "What are you talking about?"

Tori beamed, looking all too pleased by the moment and Derek knew he was in for it, whatever it was. She twisted and reached into the backpack slung over one of her slender shoulders and pulled from it a large stack of papers. Derek eyed them warily, having a small inkling of what they could be. She lifted the pile over the couch and dropped it purposefully into Derek's empty lap- where he noted that Chloe should still be if not for the evil witch trying to ruin his life, as dramatic as it sounds.

The top paper was a cover page that said, "MIT college application." Derek grimaced, his suspicions proven correct.

"Tech school due dates are in February, which means that I need these finished and sent off by the end of next week."

"Tori, there has to be more than five applications here," Derek bit out icily.

"My top ten actually," she smirked, while Derek simply glared at her. "And I would like your keys also. The mall has been waiting a little too long for Liz and I, and your car will get us there faster."

"What," Derek blanched. "That wasn't part of the agreement. I may have lost that bet, but you said my keys were yours during the summer."

"Considering the circumstances," Tori started, once again flashing her dark eyes in Chloe direction, sparking with something other than pure evil that Derek couldn't place, before she returned her gaze to him. Derek, for a second thought that he was hallucinating, for Tori seemed to genuinely smile at him instead of leer. As if she knew something he didn't, only because he was clueless about it and not because she wanted to keep it from him. He gave her a perplexed look. "I believe I have every right to take my prize early."

"What circumstances-" Derek stopped short, eyes widening as something dawned on him that never would have crossed his mind in a million years, because the very thought in itself was impossible. Tori nodded, seeing Derek's understanding and held out her hand for his keys.

"Table on the bottom of the landing," Derek said quietly, nodding his head in the direction of where he had last placed his keys.

"Thank you very much, big brother. It's a pleasure doing business with you," Tori said before turning on her heel and disappearing into the entry hall, leaving Derek sitting there to comprehend the sanity of the world.

"Derek," Chloe questioned, fitting her hand into his. He looked at her, her features just as perturbed as he felt. With a tight squeeze from her hand she asked, "What was that all about?"

Derek scrunched his nose in distaste, not entirely sure if he could say it out loud.

"I think, in her own twisted way, I think Tori just helped me."

Chloe's brows knit together, yet her lips pulled back and she giggled, as if she could see how insane that statement sounded. She was very aware that Tori and Derek were always at each others necks.

"Well, however, whatever that was-" Chloe motioned to the stack of papers in his lap with her free hand while her other laced her tiny fingers in between his. "However that little encounter helped, do you appreciate your little sister's aid?"

Did he appreciate Tori's help? How she manipulated him into a challenge that she knew Derek couldn't refuse, how he miserably lost by falling for Chloe's big blue eyes just like everyone else she has come across, how he had to go through all that crap with Liam because he actually fancied the girl, and how he now had to fill Tori's applications and be car-less for God knows how long... all leading to him getting the girl. Against all odds, against all rumors, Derek got the girl.

He glanced at Chloe again, her bright sapphire orbs were dancing with amusement and glowing as if she were seeing something that she wanted. And Derek wouldn't have that if not for Tori. He chuckled just thinking about it and pulled Chloe closer, slowly bringing his lips to hers and murmuring admittedly,

"Yeah, which means that I'm unfortunately indebted to her. But I don't care. In the end I believe I won this bet."

"What bet," Chloe giggled and her lips temptingly brushed Derek's, immediately fogging his senses.

"Forget about it," he said lowly, almost in a growl before he captured her lips, for once getting caught up in his own victory and forgetting everything else.

_No matter the rumors, Chloe was still innocent, safe... and mine. And nothing else mattered. _

**Fin**

**Future seniors, don't wait until January to fill out your college applications. Just a helpful hint. **

**Thank you everyone! I hope you enjoyed that ending and it turned out satisfactory.**

**Any questions, comments, concerns? Leave me last reviews, even if you haven't reviewed in the past, I'd love to hear from you guys. Continue to follow me though, I'll be coming out with plenty of One-shots in the future!**

**I heart you all with all my love! Bye!**


End file.
